


The Internship: Sterek Style

by gatergirl79



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), The Internship (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future Fic, M/M, Post season 3a, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Stuart is Stiles/Stiles is Stuart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 08:56:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1463338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatergirl79/pseuds/gatergirl79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles get an internship with Google. When he arrives he finds himself put on the same team as a face from his past. It's been five years since Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski last saw one another, now there practically living in each others pockets. Soon old issues and new desires come to a head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Young Guns

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been working on this for a while now, but didn’t want to start posting until I had it done. Well, obviously it’s done. I’m basically playing around with the Internship, where Stuart is Stiles and Derek is part of the internship program at Google. This does take place in the Teen Wolf universe. Basically it’s a future fic, where Derek didn’t return to Beacon Hills after 3a. I used the dialogue from The Internship, but mostly to set the scene and on occasion gave Derek other characters dialogue because well I couldn‘t have him standing around saying nothing. Even if that is what he does on Teen Wolf. Stiles is a bit of a dick at the beginning of this, just like Stuart. I haven’t seen season three so you probably have take Stiles whole explanation of what happened to him in 3b with a pitch of salt. I took some liberties with what I did know. 
> 
> And a special thanks to my buddy Ferret83. For answering my questions about the seasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this for a while now, but didn't want to start posting until I had it done. Well, obviously it's done. I'm basically playing around with the Internship, where Stuart is Stiles and Derek is part of the internship program at Google. This does take place in the Teen Wolf universe. Basically it's a future fic, where Derek didn't return to Beacon Hills after 3a. I used the dialogue from The Internship, but mostly to set the scene and on occasion gave Derek other characters dialogue because well I couldn't have him standing around saying nothing. Even if that is what he does on Teen Wolf. Stiles is a bit of a dick at the beginning of this, just like Stuart. I haven't seen season three so you'll have taken Stiles my whole explanation of 3b as literary licence, I took some liberties with what I did know. 
> 
> And a special thanks to my buddy Ferret83 for answering my questions about the season.

This was all Danny and Lydia's fault. He'd been happily planning to return home for the summer, but no that wasn't good enough for them, no he had to make something of his life, like his dream of being a small town sheriff wasn't perfectly acceptable. It was freshman year all over again.

He'd been happily taking Psych and Introduction to Criminology, when Lydia and Danny - Well mostly Lydia, because apparently dating her for a year somehow meant that she controlled his life _forever_. - had stomped all over his plans and told him he needed to branch out, expand his horizons. That it was _nice_ that he wanted to follow in his father's footstep, but he was worth more than that. The fact that he didn't want to expand anything, or be anything but a deputy then a sheriff, didn't seem to enter either of their heads. They were out of Beacon Hills and they weren't going back and they couldn't fathom why Stiles would want to.

Which was how he ended up strolling aimlessly around the Google campus in a daze of confusion. The place was insane, and awesome. Of course the place was awesome, it had a slide, free food and well….it was out of this world. No wonder it was voted the best place to work in America. It certainly seemed to be werewolf free, though Stiles had learnt a long time ago that you could never tell a werewolf by its cover. - Or any supernatural creature.

After signing in and being assigned to living quarters for the next month and a half, he headed for the meet and greet. He grabbed a coffee and settled into a corner, watching everyone mill about, chatting. Serious how much more like freshman year could this be? He'd felt out of place then too. Thankfully he'd headed to Colombia with Lydia, and surprisingly Danny, so he'd at least had a link with back home, but things hadn't been easy that first year. He'd never expected to be the kind of person to get homesick. Well he called it homesick. Deep down he knew it was the lack on connection to Scott and the pack. Insanely he missed the chaos that came with living in Beacon Hills.

He glanced up at the sight of the two much older guys milling around in Google hats, which he absolutely hated by the way. He hadn't felt so completely ridiculous since that time Scott made him strip naked (practically) and doused him in cat urine as bait for a mysterious beast stalking the preserve. Which by the way happened to just be a cougar. The one and probably only time that there actually was a logical, natural explanation.

They were called to attention by a well-spoken Indian guy and Stiles scrambled to grab a better seat, just as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Turned out it was Scott complaining once again about his wayward love life. Things had been so much simpler when he was in love with Allison and she was all he talked about. Oh, happy days. There was a twinge of pain at the thought. He swiftly replied to Scott's text, then turned his full attention to Roger Chetty's introduction.

When the man was finished, Stiles checked his email for the schedule and scrambled to his feet with everyone else. His eyes fixed to his phone as he made his way down the steps. He followed the river of egger cohorts out of the building and across the campus. Shooting a text off to Lydia as he walked.

 

**Message:**

**Do you have any idea what you signed me up for?**

 

_**Inbox: Scream Queen** _ **.**

_**Yes, Stiles. I do. A future away from insane werewolf shit. You're Welcome.** _

 

Stiles shook his head and inhaled slowly. This was only for the summer, he told himself. It wasn't like he had to take the damn job. Hell it wasn't like he was even going to get the damn job.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

The workplace seminar was kinda predictable and boring. It reminded him of sitting though one of Harris' classes, where he'd ramble on and pick on a single student to make an example. Back then it had often been him, now it seem Mr. Chetty had it in for the old guy behind him. Though in Mr. Chetty's defence, the guy and his friend did seem to be moronic to the extreme, and Stiles knew morons, he'd spent four years of junior high and two of high school with Greenberg.

Stiles jerked slightly as the dark haired older guy leaned into him, whispering; the guy's breathe brushing his neck.

"That being said, if you want something cold to drink, we'll hook you up."

"Okay, thank you. Just stop talking to me." Stiles whispered back.

"I'm your Billy Holden in _'Stalag 17'_."

"I really don't get that reference." Stiles murmured back in a desperate plea to shut the guy up before he got him kicked out. Because seriously, that would just get him killed.

"Google it."

"I'll do that."

He refocused his attention and listened absently as Mr. Chetty rumbled through the rest of the rules, while Dumb and Dumber commented. He had to press his lips together to stop from laughing. How they'd gotten onto the program Stiles couldn't for the life of him work out. He had a brief thought that they might be moles, sent in by the powers that be to test them all, but he pushed that away as he watched Mr. Chetty getting increasingly frustrated with the pair. - Of course, maybe Mr. Chetty didn't know. Maybe they were here to test _him_ and not the interns. It was plausible. _He'd_ do it.

It seemed like forever before the seminar was over, no thanks to Butch and Sundance. Escaping as quickly as he could, Stiles headed to grab something to eat - Which he would _not_ be taking home. - Before heading off to the next lecture. The day passed slowly but finally he was able to escaped back to his dorm room, where he spent an hour Skyping with Lydia, arguing over her bullying him into this insanity, and another hour with Scott, absorbing every wonderful moment of his best friends' angst filled love life like a starving man at a banquet. Before finally calling his dad.

"Seriously Dad, can't I just come home?"

" _No."_ his dad insisted around food.

"What are you eating?"

" _Salad."_

"Liar."

" _Prove it."_

Stiles grunted down the line, "I can hear the ketchup."

" _Listen, Lydia's right, this is a fantastic opportunity son and you've worked hard to get it. If you quit now, I won't protect you from that young woman."_

"Well thank you." Stiles huffed. "What happened to always protecting me, no matter how old I get?"

" _I met Lydia Martin. There isn't a police force, or army for that matter, in the world that could protect you from her."_

Stiles chuckled. They turned the conversation away from the Stiles wanting to quit, to random gossip. Stiles filled his dad in on everything he'd done since arriving at Google. About the building and the people. About Dumb and Dumber, which his dad had scolded him for.

" _They can't be that dumb, Stiles. They got the internship, didn't they?"_

"Believe me, I'm questioning the vetting procedure. - Though I have a theory that they might be here to test us, or the supervisors."

" _Then in that case, it would be wise to maybe be a little more…._ nice _."_

That was easy for his dad to say.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Day two started with breakfast of yogurt and juice. Coffee was a no no, though the smell was killing him. After he'd had a bad reaction to five straight night of studying, too much Adderall and too much coffee sophomore year of college, he's avoided coffee and caffeine like the plague. Then it was off to the welcome centre for team picking. Which having spent the previous day with half these people he was dreading more than a Succubus attack. Cause god, those things fuck you up man. The succubus, not the interns….well, maybe both.

Stiles settled back down in his seat, the one he'd been in yesterday and waited for everyone else to get settled. He pulled out his phone to find he had three texts.

 

_**Inbox: Scream Queen.** _

_**You quit, I kill you.** _

 

_**Inbox: Scott.** _

_**Just met this hot girl in the checkout line. Her names Tanya.** _

 

_**Inbox: Danny.** _

_**Thought I'd cheer you up.** _

 

Stiles smirked at the photo of a guy's ass, a rather fantastic one too. Danny had clearly taken it while waiting in line for something or other. He glanced up to see everyone was settled and Sid was introducing himself. Apparently he'd been working there for eight years, and it seemed to have warped his brain, if his introduction was anything to go by.

 

**Message: Scream Queen**

**SERIOUSLY! Let me go home.**

 

"You have five minutes. Pick your teams." Mr Chetty interrupted.

Stiles scrambled to his feet along with everyone else, he glanced around at all the others and sighed. He didn't want to work with any of these people. Hell he didn't want to be here. Why was he here? His phone buzzed with an answer to that question as he was listening to an Asian kid tell him he'd been voted most likely to succeed by his chess club.

 

_**Inbox: Scream Queen.** _

_**Quit whining Stilinski. Suck it up. Don't text me again until you've got the job.** _

 

He wasn't getting this job. He didn't _want_ this job. Blowing out a breath, he turned and stomped down the steps, sitting down once again, his thumbs working over the keys as he shot a text to Scott.

**Message:**

**Is she evil?**

 

_**Inbox: Scott** _ **.**

_**No. That was like once Stiles. Once.** _

 

_**Inbox: Scott.** _

_**Lydia said I can't text you until you stop bitching.** _

 

Stiles huffed, rolling his eyes. That woman was going to be the death of him.

 

**Message:**

**Come on Bro.**

 

_**Inbox: Scott** _ **.**

_**Sorry man. You know Lydia. She's probably got our phones tapped. Shit, I just got a text from her. Good luck with the job. I'll talk to you in a few weeks.** _

 

**Message:**

**Weeks?**

 

There wasn't a reply and Stiles grumbled under his breath as he slouched against the steps. He turned at the sound of someone yelling to see one of the team managers pointing at him. But his eyes didn't widen at the revelation that apparently he was suck on a team with Rocky and Bullwinkle.

He stared past the three to the back of the hall where a guy was stood in the shadows, hands thrust deep in the pockets of his jacket, jaw clenched tight, just like the first time they'd ever met. Stiles shook his head, blinking rapidly. There was no way he was seeing who he thought he was seeing. Not in a million trillion years. It just wasn't possibly. He opened his eyes and looked again, and there he was, still there. Still the creeper. Derek fucking Hale. He opened his mouth to say something, scrambling to his feet and almost tripping over himself, but was cut off when the team manager waved for them all to follow him.

Stiles didn't move at first, his eyes locked on the descending figure. He looked the same. Like he'd been frozen for the past five years. Stiles inhaled sharply as Derek walked past him, his eyes locked in front of him. Stiles didn't exactly expect the guy to welcome him with a bro-hug and a how you doing, Stiles had only saved his damn life…. _twice_. But Derek's blatant snubbing was like a punch to the gut that made him gasp for air.

He followed after him, a deep frown on his face. It seemed the years had made Derek Hale a bigger jerk than when he'd left Beacon Hills five years ago.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

This was not going according to plan. He'd know it was going to be different to other jobs. It's what Google were known for, but he hadn't expecting the insanity. - And he knew insanity. - He also hadn't expected to bump into a familiar face again. Though he'd known Stiles was there yesterday when he'd caught his scent on the air. He'd sort him out with his eyes during the previous days welcome party and had then avoided him. He'd then spent the night weighing up whether to just leave and try something else, but Cora had insisted.

" _He probably won't even remember you, Derek. - It's been five years."_

That hadn't made him feel any better, and it _certainly_ hadn't convinced him to stay. He didn't know what had done that. Just like he didn't understand why he hadn't teamed up with another group.

"Okay! Let's get some meet and greet going up in this heezy!" Lyle exclaimed enthusiastically.

Derek pulled up a chair and slouched into it, his gaze locked to the floor, for the most part. He did occasionally lift it to glance at Stiles, who was slouching lazily on the couch across the room, legs spread, and attention fixed on his phone. He was probably texting Scott.

"Is Lyle always going to be referring to himself in the third person?" Stiles asked; lifting his gaze from the phone for a second. "Because if he is, I might want to punch Lyle in the face."

Derek heard Lyle's heart skip, embarrassment and discomfort seeping off him. Derek turned to fix Stiles with a scornful glare. Clearly the boy wasn't the same fun, friendly kid he'd known in Beacon Hills. But then that place had a way of screwing with people. Derek's life had significantly changed since leaving. He'd gone back to college, finished his degrees. While Stiles it seemed had become a jerk.

Stiles met his gaze challengingly for a moment before dropping it back to his phone, as Lyle apologized for his nervous behaviour.

"Who's next?" Lyle laughed awkwardly, dropping down onto the edge of the desk nearest Derek.

"My name is Yo-Yo Santos." the Asian kid introduced; getting to his feet.

Derek tried not to wrinkle his nose at the overpowering scent of fear as one of the older guys raised a hand to him.

"Wow. Yo-Yo, Easy buddy. I come in peace."

Derek looked at the kid; his stomach turning.

"Did you get beat up a lot in school?"

"I was home schooled by my mum."

Derek's fingers curled into his palm and he forced back the growl that threatened to free itself. His eyes flickered over to Stiles who met them, a silent message passing between them. They'd always share the desire to protect.

"…She provided me selflessly with the milk of her bosom till I was seven."

Derek and Stiles shared another look across the room. One of discomfort and slight queasiness.

"Actually, the science isn't quite definitive on that."

Derek watched Stiles hands moving and he forced back the smirk, he was checking it. It seemed some things hadn't changed. Stiles was still a research bunny.

"Wrong." Stiles announced after only a few moments and Derek bit the inside of his lips.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Wrong. The teat or baba thing. It's wrong." Stiles insisted firmly. "I just Googled it. So you're wrong."

Derek rubbed at his jaw, covering his mouth to conceal the grin he couldn't hold back, while everyone stared at the pair.

Stiles looked around at them all, shifting in his seat. "Oh yeah. Uh….I'm Stuart."

Derek lifted a brow at the name and noted that Stiles heart skipped at the lie, quickly hiding back behind his phone. Derek had never asked about Stiles name, though he'd known it wasn't Stiles. That was just stupid. Stiles Stilinski? The Sheriff didn't strike him as the type to give his son a name like that. Derek suddenly found himself very interested in Stiles name. So much so he pretty much phased out for the next ten minutes as everyone continued talking around him.

Derek was pulled back into the conversation by Stiles once again being a jerk

"…..you big tree? Two-sixth of our team are made up of two old guys who don't know shit." Stiles spat venomously.

Derek really wasn't liking this new Stiles. Not at all.

"Okay guys…."

"Where you born a jerk or did you take lessons?" Derek heard himself remarking.

Stiles met his gaze intensely. "Me?" he scoffed.

"Yeah, you."

"Wow." Stiles shifted to the edge of his seat and leant close. "As a matter of fact I did get lessons. There was this guy I knew once who was a way bigger jerk, actually. So big a jerk in fact he split town without as much as a goodbye."

"It was probably to escape you." Derek shot back. He had said goodbye. - Well, he'd told Scott. It wasn't like he and Stiles were even friends.

"Blow me, dickwad." Stiles spat; flipping him off.

"Whoa, okay guys, stow the sexual tension." Nick chuckled light-heartedly. "What's your name man?"

"He means beside dickwad." Stiles grumbled.

"Derek. Derek Hale."

"Well I for one am very happy to have three very strapping mature gentleman on the team." the girl announced; smiling at the three of them. "Oh, I'm Neha Patel…."

Derek drowned her out as she began to ramble on about Cos'play, whatever that was. He didn't really need to listen to their introductions, he'd known who they all were before they'd even been teamed up thanks to his enhanced hearing. His attention instantly slid back to Stiles, who was watching him over the rim of his glasses. When the hell did he get glasses?

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Okay so he knew he was being a jackass to Nick and Billy. He knew it but he couldn't stop, despite the fact he was still somewhat convinced they were moles. Actually that might be why he was being a jerk. That way he wouldn't get the job he didn't want and Lydia couldn't kill him for it. The fact was he was feeling his bad Karma sneaking up on him, probably because neither Scott nor Lydia was answering his texts. Frankly his best friends should know better than to cut him off like this.

As for why he was being an asshole to Derek, well that was easier to explain. He was pissed at him. Sure they hadn't been friends, but they had been thought a ton of shit together and he had saved the bastards life, was it too much to ask for a goodbye? Was it? He didn't think so. And Nick's crack about the sexual tension, that had just hit a nerve, because Stiles wasn't going to deny that he may have, at one point, possibly had a bit of a crush. - Well, he'd definitely looked. But Derek, he hadn't so much as batted an eyelid in Stiles direction. Beside Stiles wasn't his type. He wasn't a psychopathic serial killer. - Well at least not….you know, intentionally.

Stiles glanced sideway down the line of seat to where Derek was sat listening to the lecture between Yo-Yo and Neha. He still had no idea what the guy was even doing here. Derek had never struck him as the computer programming type. Hell they'd had to call Danny to find out who'd sent that message to Allison back in junior year, and Derek had spent that entire three hours sat in the corner of his room glaring at him and Danny like they were secretly planning to have him shipped off to a testing facility.

Obviously Derek sensed him looking because he turned to stare at Stiles, so Stiles turned back to listen to the lecture, thankful he was recording the thing on his phone for later.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Stiles was heading back to his dorm after grabbing something to eat when he felt Derek behind him. Well it wasn't that he knew it was Derek, he'd just gotten incredibly good at knowing when he was being followed and logic said the werewolf was the only one with a reason to do so. He slowed his pace as they reached the corner of a building and then stopped, turning to meet the man's intense green eyes. - Man he'd forgotten how those things caused his breath to catch. - Realizing his heart was probably pounding, he quickly tried to calm it, using the technique Scott had taught him years ago.

"Stuart?" was the first thing Derek said when he stopped.

"Yes."

Derek raised a brow, unimpressed.

"I've been using the name since starting college. It was Lydia's idea."

"Of course it was. - What was wrong with Stiles?"

"I don't know, you tell me?" Stiles replied; instantly mentally kicking himself. "New life, new name. Stuart's more grown-up."

"It doesn't suit you." Derek remarked after a short pause.

Stiles stared at him, mouth slightly hanging open with shock.

After a few minutes Stiles shook himself. He wasn't a babbling sixteen year old anymore. He was twenty-one. He was a grown-up. He could vote and drink and get laid. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you obviously."

"Since when were you a computer genius?" Stiles scoffed; folding his arms over his chest.

Derek lent his shoulder against the wall. "I'm not. I took computer science when I re-enrolled in NYU to finish my masters."

"You've got a masters?" Stiles gapped. "In what?"

"Classic Literature and Folklore. - As well as degrees in English and Mathematics. - Though I'm not a genius like Lydia."

"I don't know whether to be amused or outright stunned? - Wait, NYU? You went back to New York?"

Derek shrugged. "I wasn't going to. We….Cora and I, we settled in Wyoming for a while but we both found it too quiet, so we headed back to New York."

Stiles shifted on his sneakered feet, burying his hands into his jeans. "I'm at Colombia. - With Lydia and Danny." he added quickly.

Derek frowned down at him. "Really? - I would have thought you'd stay closer to home."

Stiles shrugged a single shoulder. "I needed a break. Dad and Scott pretty much marched me out of town at gunpoint. - Well, claw point in Scott's case." he chuckled. "They said they wanted me to be normal."

"You? Normal? Is that even possible?" Derek teased.

"Bite me jerk."

Derek raised a brow questioningly.

"I didn't mean that as an invitation." Stiles quickly added. "So Cora?"

"Is fine. She settled into college in Miami."

"Miami? Wow, party college."

Derek clenched his jaw tightly; unimpressed by the statement, as true as it was. "Scott? - How's he dealing with….everything?"

"If you mean is he a better alpha than you, the answer's yes. But then he couldn't be worse now could he?"

"God you've become an asshole, Stiles." Derek narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "I don't like it."

"Yeah well, I don't give a shit what you like." Stiles huffed, turning to walk away.

"And give Nick and Billy a break, they're here for the same reason we are!" Derek called after him.

Stiles kept walking, his fingers tightening around the straps of his bag. "Whatever!" he threw back over his shoulder as he turned around another corner.


	2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your feedback.
> 
> Title choice, I don't know. Rofl. See what I did there.

Derek sat on the end of his bed, rubbing at his eyes. He hadn't planned on getting into it with Stiles, not when he'd approached him on his way home. He'd just wanted to say hi. Maybe apologize for shooting his mouth off in front of everyone earlier. - Maybe even for splitting town without saying bye. - But as it always did between them, it had spiralled into an argument. His phone rang on the nightstand and Derek reached across to answer it. "Hey Cora?"

" _Hey. So, how's it go? Did you see Stiles again?"_

"Worse." Derek sighed; rubbing at his eyes. "We've been put on the same team."

Cora chuckled down the line. _"So no avoiding him now huh? - Well maybe that's a good thing. It might knock your damn heads together, finally."_

Derek's head snapped up from his hand; a deep frown between his dark brows. "Meaning?"

Cora let out a sigh that clearly said my brother's an idiot _. "_ Meaning _, you could say I don't know, deal with the fact that he likes you, and that you maybe like him too. - I mean he's not a kid any more Derek, and you're not fucked up…..well, not as badly anyway."_

"Are you suggesting….?"

" _No. I'm_ saying _…that he had a thing for you since you met him…..well, since I met him, I don't know how long before that, but it was pretty obvious. He cared what was happening to you, Derek. - And I know you didn't hate him as much as you said you did. Hell you trusted him to take care of me when the Alpha's attacked the hospital."_

Derek stared at the wall facing him. "You're wrong. That's not what….we weren't….I never….no. He was the only person there."

" _Whatever bro. Hide in that closet for another twenty years for all I care. I just figured this was your second chance and you're swiftly running out of those Derek. - I've got to go, Todd's outside. I'll call tomorrow and you can tell me again how you don't have a thing for Stiles. Night bro._ " she hung up leaving Derek wincing at her parting shot.

He sat on the end of the bed staring across his room, his lips pressed into a tight line. He couldn't lie, he knew Stiles had liked him, back then, but he'd been a teenager, with hormones and a raging libido so he'd just brushed it off. On top of that, Derek wasn't into guys or at least he hadn't been. Derek scratched at his jaw, his nails catching on the roughness of his stubble. He hadn't let it grow out in years, preferring the clean shaven look. People tended not to look at him like he was about to mug them or murder their puppies when he was baby smooth. Why he'd let it grow now he had no idea.

 _Yes you do._ His head taunted, sounding frustratingly like Cora. And she was right, he did. It was because Stiles liked it that way. He'd heard the way the teenagers heart speed up when he'd seen him sporting it. And maybe that had more to do with why he hadn't shaved properly for six months. "Thank you so much Cora, you've just fucked up my next two months." he groaned.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

_"Good morning, Interns. Today marks the first of several challenges through which your teams will show your merits. While dog-fooding a new product, a number of Googlers reported a bug that disabled their audio. All two million lines of that code are in the source file. Your job? Find the bug."_

"Okay we should check the user reports." Neha announced as they all tore away from the computer to get to work.

Derek swivelled in the chair he was lounging in, yanking a small black notebook and pen out of the inside pockets of his jacket as it hung on the back of the chair. Flipping to a blank page he began to scribble. He could feel Stiles eyes on him for a few moment and hated that it made his breath catch. He'd been actively avoiding so much as looking at the younger man since arriving, the phone call with his sister pounding against his temples almost painfully. Shaking his head he focused on the job at hand. This was his future, Stiles was his past. _He might be your future_. A voice that sound frighteningly like Cora's chanted. _If he get the job too, you'll be working together. Again_. _He'll be your future too_. He growled at himself, or Cora, whichever. It may even be aimed at Stiles for invading his new life. Thankfully no one heard it due to Billy and Nick pointless babbling.

"Will you please stop?" Yo-Yo suddenly shouted.

Derek turned to stare at the usually silently young man; his brows farrowed.

"We're working." Billy said quickly.

"No, _we're_ working!" Yo-Yo snapped.

"Yeah, and that's a Sharpie, genius." Stiles added.

Derek watched as Billy tried to wipe his scribbles off the clear board; feeling more than a little sorry for them. They were fish out of water and he remembered that feeling. When he'd first become an alpha he'd been walking around in the dark feeling his way and he'd make a lot of mistakes because of it. His eyes snapped to Stiles. He would have thought if anyone would be understanding and encouraging, it would be Stiles, after all, no one had taken him seriously for years.

Derek turned to glance at the guys. He had to admit they made sense, well kind of. Find the programmer, get the solution. It was the kind of idea Stiles would have come up with.

"Yeah. I think it's a great idea." Stiles nodded.

Derek felt his heart lift hopefully, only for his hearing to pick up the lie. His brow drew together tightly as he watched Stiles intently.

"Yeah. No. Feeling you big time, buddy. You know, in fact, why don't the two of you, right now, go and find the programmer?"

"Great. Great idea." Nick grinned; nodding enthusiastically.

Derek hoped his eyes weren't glowing as he glared across the room scornfully at the younger man. He was not impressed. Not a bit. This was _not_ the kid he'd known. This _wasn't_ Stiles.

"Guys." Lyle interrupted Neha.

"And, he's in a wheelchair." Stiles added; shooting Lyle a shut-up look.

And there went all Derek respect for both Lyle - Who makes the worst alpha in history. - And Stiles. No. Derek shook his head, he couldn't call him that anymore. This guy wasn't Stiles. Not his Stiles. - Not that Stiles had ever or would ever be his. - From now on he was Stuart.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Stiles sat at his computer; searching through lines and lines of data. His head was hurting and his stomach hadn't felt right all morning. It might have been that burrito he had last night. Oh, and Derek kept shooting him death glares and apparently his immunity to them had worn off, because every time he glanced over his shoulder to the desk beside Yo-Yo and met Derek's hard green gaze, his chest tightened and that sick feeling he was fighting off rose into his throat.

The office had been quite since Nick and Billy had been sent on their wild goose chance and yeah okay maybe he felt a little bad about doing that.

He glanced over his shoulder once again as Lyle jabbered to Yo-Yo and instantly found Derek staring back at him, his own computer screen highlighting his jaw and stubble. Seriously it's been five years, hadn't he learnt to shave yet? Not that he was really complaining, he'd always kinda liked it.

"Almost? Either you're done or not. You can't be almost pregnant." Neha said beside him

He couldn't help the retort that slipped out of his mouth, even as his eyes remained on Derek. What can he say, old habits. "Yeah, and she would know guys."

"How about you Google 'asshole' Asshole." Neha shot back.

"She's right. It's not good enough. Yo-Yo, get it together." Yo-Yo said to himself, clearly Lyle's habit of talking about himself in the third person was contagious.

Stiles winched as Yo-Yo yanked out an eyebrow with his fingertips. "What the hell was that?"

"I was punishing myself for my inferior performance."

Stiles frowned concerned, serious the guy was a mess and he knew what a mess looked like, he'd lived with enough of them over the years. His eyes instantly sort out Derek's again. He didn't seem to be a mess anymore.

Stiles had spent most of the previous day trying to figure him out. Derek, despite still looking like the creeper that hung around high schools biting unsuspecting teenagers. - Okay they weren't exactly unsuspecting. They'd known exactly what they were getting into, but still. - He kinda felt different. He was giving off less 'rip your throat out' vibes. Well at least until a couple of hours ago.

Taking a breath Stiles turned back to his computer. "Wow. Good. Great. That one's crazy, he can only communicate in grunts and glares…" nodding towards Derek. "…and somewhere there's a geek orgy your late for." he joked, looking over at Neha.

"Yeah well, somewhere there's a micro-phallus convention you're late for."

"Does your mind just immediately go to a penis joke? Is that like all you girls think about?"

"Was that not witty enough for you? Because I'm too busy working."

"Oh yeah, yeah. That's fine. I just want you to acknowledge the fact that I'm winning the quip-off."

"That's what you're worried about?" Neha snapped; glaring at him, though it didn't have the effect it probably should have. Maybe she should take some lessons from Derek.

Speaking of, he was on his feet. Stiles fell silent instantly, his full attention on Derek as he ripped his jacket off the back of his chair, grabbed his notebook. - Seriously who uses pen and paper anymore? - And was marching angrily towards the door. - Yep, definitely angrily. He knows that walk by heart.

"I'm taking a break." Derek shot back over his shoulder.

Lyle opened his mouth to halt him, but nothing comes out. Not that Derek would have listened, the guy was a law unto himself.

Stiles pulled his lip through his teeth and watched Derek march past the glass windows, and sighed. Once he was out of sight Stiles turned back to his computer, but not before seeing the smirk on Neha's face.

"What?" he snapped.

"Nothing?" she said; holding up her hands innocently. "Just, I guess I'm not the only one with penises on the brain." she chuckled.

Stiles glared at her with his best 'Hale Death Glare' and ignored her for the next twenty minutes, until Lyle called a break for them all.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

"God that guys so anti-social." Neha said as they took a seat at the table; her eyes skimming across the campus to the tree Derek was lounging beneath.

Stiles followed her gaze, swing his leg over the bench and putting his tray down.

"But hot right?" Neha added.

Stiles turned to look at her, wide eyed. "Huh." he shrugged.

"Oh come on, I'm not blind, I saw the way you….."

"So, who saw the last episode of Breaking Bad?" he cleared his throat.

"Ah, smooth attempt at changing the subject." Lyle chuckled.

"I'm not….Oh, hey guys. You find Professor Xavier?"

They all turned to look up at Billy and Nick.

"Yeah, thanks so much for that. Really great team spirit." Billy scolded. "Mind sliding over here?"

Stiles hated himself for shifting closer to the edge. What the fuck was with him? When the holy hell had he turned into Jackson 'fucking' Whittemore? Oh right, end of sophomore year.

"I'm sorry, it really doesn't look like there's enough room for you." Yo-Yo added.

As the older men walked away, Derek came into view behind them; his face stony and cold. Stiles was sure he could see the muscle in his jaw jumping even from this distance. He looked pissed. Really pissed. My-uncle-used-me-to-come-back-from-the-dead pissed. Clearing his throat again, Stiles looked back at the others. "Huh…I need to pee." He climbed off the bench and headed back into the building.

He was three steps from the restroom when a hand yanked on his shoulder, pulling him back and thrusting him violently into the nearest wall. He didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Ow….Fuck man." he grunted as his back hit the plaster. "Still haven't learnt manners I see."

"Huh, you're lecturing me on manners when you've been behaving like a dick for the past two day?"

Stiles met Derek's gaze coldly. "Well takes one to know one I guess."

Derek growled quietly. "What the fuck happened to you? You were a descent kid when I left."

"A lot changes in five years." Stiles snapped.

"Yeah. Clearly Scott wasn't the alpha everyone expected him to be."

"Hey dick-brain, Scott did a fucking awesome job all things considered."

"Yeah. I see that." Derek scoffed, releasing Stiles shirt.

"Yeah man, back off." Stiles shoved at Derek's chest. "You just fucked off and left us. Scott was an alpha with no idea how to control it and the only people he could turn to for help were the twin and Peter. None of which exactly scream trustworthy."

"He didn't trust me either." Derek reminded him harshly.

"Dude, he trusted you enough! We all did!"

Derek swallowed hard. "Look I couldn't stay okay. I needed…..out."

"Huh. And you think we liked living on top of the damn hellmouth? I don't think so. - You know my dad almost lost his job. - Twice. Almost died too. - We all had to deal with shit we had no idea even existed. It took Scott almost a year to get a grip and it almost cost Isaac his life in the process. Not to mention I….." he sucked in a sharp, shaky breath. "So you know what, if I'm not the happy-go-lucky, fun guy you used to know, that's too bad. I grew up. Fast. Because I had too." He shouldered roughly past Derek and marched into the restroom, his heart pounding and his head spinning.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

"He hates me."

" _I'm sure he doesn't."_ Cora laughed down the line.

"Oh believe me, he does. I heard it in his voice. And his heart didn't…." Derek rubbed at his eyes, his elbows resting on his knees as he sat on the end of his bed once again. Weary and depressed. "He hates me for leaving Beacon Hills. - Says things got bad for Scott."

There was a long silence before his sister spoke again. _"I'm sorry Derek."_ she whispered. _"If it hadn't….."_

"It's not your fault Cora. You didn't make me leave. I wanted to. I _needed_ to." he shook his head. "I just never…."

" _Thought about them?"_

"I never even considered how it would affect them. All I cared about was you and being free. I never wanted to be tied to that town Cora. It hurt too much."

" _Yeah. - Except you kinda were. I knew that but I didn't care because you were_ my _family._ My _brother. I guess I didn't want to share you after just getting you back."_

Derek inhaled slowly; his throat tightening at the confession. It had been hard at first, connecting with Cora. They had both tried too hard to prove they were still family and the stress of everything at the time. Jennifer. The Alphas. It just made it worse. "I don't know what to do Cor. He's not…..Stiles. - I don't like it."

" _I guess you've got to ask yourself how much you really want this job. And can you work with him?"_

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

"You need to answer your damn phone. Call me back. I don't care what Lydia says man, I need to talk to you like now. Derek's here. Like Derek Hale. He's on my team at Google and its wigging me out because he's…..Just call me man. _Please_. I'm losing it Scott." Stiles hung up the phone and dropped it onto the bed beside him before dropping down after it, staring up at the ceiling. His head swimming with nothing but Derek Hale.

" _What the fuck happened to you? You were a descent kid when I left."_

Stiles groaned. "This is not my life."

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

They lost the bug challenge, predictably and now they were here in the middle of a field about to play a game that didn't even exist fifteen years ago. How is this even relevant? The worst part, at least for Stiles is seeing Derek Hale in a tight t-shirt. - What would make it better was seeing Derek Hale with no t-shirt. _Shit, thanks for that._ Stiles scolded himself as his mind decided to sort through his mental trash can and retrieve the memory of just what Derek looked like shirtless. Which had him instantly rubbing at his forehead, because sense memory is a son of a bitch.

They all took their positions on the field, facing the other team, Lyle stood on the side lines watching. Stiles couldn't help glancing down the line of bodies to Derek, who doesn't look at all enthusiastic about all of this, and really Stiles doesn't blame him one little bit. There was a reason he hadn't taken lacrosse in College.

"Are you sure you should be playing?" he whispered watching Derek, knowing the werewolf would hear him. Derek's head turned to meet his gaze, his brow lifting. "I mean….you're like….strong and fast and while I'm sure the others will be happy to win, I remember high school man. Danny almost got his neck broken like five time. I just don't want…."

He was cut off by the whistle and suddenly everyone's running and he's following. He understood the rules and the aim, but god the game was dumb. He watched Nick and Billy leap around curelessly and he kinda felt sorry for them. _Do they even know who Harry Potter is?_ He doubts it. Billy seems not to have seen a movie past 1989. Stiles turns to watch Neha and Yo-Yo giving it their all and failing depressingly. - The biggest shock though is Derek, who's being knock on his ass almost every five seconds. Okay so throwing the game is better than killing the opposing team but he could at least give it some effort. Stiles is about to say just that when his pocket begins to vibrate. Tugging out his phone he stares down at the message from Scott.

 

_**Inbox: Scott.** _

_**What do you mean Derek's there?** _

 

Stiles rolled his eyes because he's pretty sure he was clear in his message last night.

 

**Message: Scott**

**He's on the intern program.**

 

_**Inbox: Scott** _

_**WHAT!** _

 

Stiles laughs at the capitals. He can almost see Scott's eyes bulging as he writes.

 

**Message: Scott**

**I know. It's insane. He's on my team. And oh…wait.**

 

Stiles lifts his phone and aims it at Derek; snapping a picture. Derek clearly hears the shutter sound because his head snaps around to glare at him, but Stiles is already sending it with the added message.

 

**Message: Scott**

**He's playing Quidditch. LOL**

 

He doesn't get a reply very quickly and it's probably because Scott is pissing himself with laughter. Finally though a message come through, but before Stiles can open it a ball hits him in the side of the head. "What the hell was that?" he snaps, looking up to see Neha glaring at him.

"Why don't you try looking up and giving a shit!"

He watches Neha run off again and turns just in time to duck as Billy starts swing his broom like a mad man. Derek seems to find him almost getting whacked around the head amusing because when Stiles looks up he's grinning. Like actually grinning. With teeth. And it's not his 'I'm-here-to-distract-you' grin, it's both beautiful and terrifying at the same moment.

He gets distracted by it for a few moments and when he comes back to his senses he had absolutely no idea what the hell was happening. It's like being lost in a crowded fairground. Everyone's running around like insane lunatics. He stumbles this way and that, looking around for whatever it is he's meant to be catching or throwing and then the whistle blows and he bends double and starts panting. Shit, maybe he should have taken lacrosse in college because he's clearly not as fit as he used to be. He staggers over to the group and stops beside Derek who isn't even sweating, but then he hasn't done anything to sweat. - And dammit, there goes his damn imagination. Fuck the hell off man. - Derek stares at him and Stiles glares back, challenging the werewolf to call him on the sudden flood of lust he can no-doubt smell seeping out of Stiles every pour but Derek just smirked and turns back to listen to Billy.

"This reminds me of a little girl who had to get her head right and start believing. A little girl from a steel town who had the dream to dance…."

Stiles shot a glance at Derek, who was watching Billy with a raised brow and a 'here-we-go' look. Yeah, Stiles knew that look well.

"No one believed in that little welder girl, but thank god she believe in herself."

"Are you talking about Flashdance?" Stiles asked; squinting into the sun. "The movie from the 80's?"

"Yeah. You're damn right I am. That's exactly what I'm talking about." Billy replied harshly.

"Okay." Stiles looked over at Derek and they both rolled their eyes. "And I thought Couch Finstock was the only guy that used movies as a point of reference for speeches." he whispered and Derek snorted beside him. Looking up the pair shared a smile. "This is insane."

"But it's working." Derek murmured.

"And don't you just hate it." Stiles laughed.

"Let's put on our leg warmers and let's dance our asses off."

"Come here you little loveable maniacs. Get in here." Nick said, pulling them closer.

Stiles shoulder brushed against Derek as they stood extra close and his heart skipped and then began to thunder against his ribs. He knew Derek could hear it, he was a werewolf for god's sake. Whether Derek heard anything Billy said after that, Stiles wasn't sure, he certainly hadn't. After a few minutes though they were stepping away from each other and Stiles found he could actually breathe again. He turned to see Derek retaking his position beside Yo-Yo. "Hey Wolfman, no holding back this time, 'kay. - Just don't kill anyone."

Derek didn't look at him, but the corner of his mouth curved upwards in a silent agreement. It also meant that he was going to have to actually bring out his best game. Hell three years of lacrosse hadn't left him completely useless. He'd won the championship game back in sophomore year.

The whistle blew and they were off. This time Stiles wasn't going to just stand around and do nothing. He dodged and weaved. He passed and scored. He watched with a grin as Derek threw a ball from halfway down the field and cheered when Billy got the ball away from that dick Graham and scored a goal through the centre hoop.

Finally they were tied and out came a guy in an indecently tight gold bodysuit, a yellow sock hanging from his ass with a ball in it.

"Who the fuck is this now?" Nick frowned watching the guy dance around like an idiot.

"It's the Golden Snitch." Stiles answered; watching breathlessly, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situation. "We need to get the tennis ball to win." Nick and Billy looked at him disbelievingly and Stiles shrugged. "I didn't make the rules man, I just live by them."

Derek snorted beside him.

Stiles hadn't even been aware anyone was moving until he looked back from shooting a narrow eyed look at Derek to see Billy and Nick sprinting down the field. "Shouldn't we?" Stiles gestured with his chin after the two men.

Derek shook his head. "Let them have this, they almost have him." Derek smiled, watching Nick and Billy close in on the Snitch.

Then Nick got knocked down and both Derek and Stiles held their breath as it became a race to the finish between Billy and Graham. Billy was almost there. Only a few more…..

"Shit! - Oh come on!" Derek roared; in a completely human way thankfully, and set off sprinting down the field.

Stiles didn't even think twice, he took off after Derek. But it was too late. Graham tackled the Snitch to the ground, then jumped up triumphant. Derek and Stiles skidded to a halt a few feet from Billy. Stiles watched Derek follow Graham with his eyes and recognised that look too. "Hey, man. It's just a game." he whispered, his hand resting on Derek's shoulder.

Derek's head snapped around to stare at the hand; looking from the appendage to Stiles and back again, and in a bizarre moment of déjà vu, he ripped his hand away.

"You sure I can't just pummel the little fucker?" Derek said a moment later. "I'm sure a jury would understand."

"G. !" Yo-Yo swore before Stiles was able to reply.

"Don't start that, Yo-Yo. You did your best out there today. That's the first time we all came together as a team"

"God-dammit, Billy's right." Nick nodded. "Let's keep it rollin'. Just keep it rollin'. Come on, let's get a frosty."

"You know, they're growing on me." Stiles chuckled; following Derek off the field.

"I'm not surprised, you're like kindred spirits." Derek scoffed. "Not a one of you can talk sense at a normal speed."

"Blow me, dick-brain." Stiles grouched, punching Derek in the shoulder.


	3. Red Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its been so long since I last posted but my computers crashed. To make up for that I have three chapters for you. Enjoy.

" _Quidditch? Are you shitting me?"_ Cora laughed breathlessly.

"What are you doing?" Derek frowned.

" _Are you sure you want to know?"_

"For god sake!" Derek groaned. "Call me when you…."

" _I'm kidding. I'm working out._ Alone _. - Back to you playing Quidditch. Have you even seen the Potter Movies?"_

"Yes!" Derek remarked, insulted. "Well, a couple. - One. Why is this important?"

" _It's not, I just find it funny. And Stiles took a photo? Oh, you've got to get him to send it to me. I have to see this? Did you have a broom? And a long robe? Oooh. Did you have to chant spells to make out you were flying?"_

"Why the hell did I even tell you?" Derek groaned; his fingers moving over the keyboard of his laptop as he typed up his notes from that afternoon's seminar.

" _Because you're an idiot. - And you love it when I take the piss out of you for stupid shit. - So, if Stiles is taking photos of you does that mean that you're on speaking terms at least."_

Derek stopped typing and leant back in his chair. "It went better today. But things are still tense." he sighed. "And weird."

" _Tense and weird in a bad way or in a you both wanna jump in bed and hash it out way?"_

"God, do you forget I'm your brother sometimes? This is not a conversation we're supposed to be having?" he can hear her shrug as she chuckled.

" _So I'll take that as a confirmation of the later."_

Derek stared at his computer screen. "He wasn't an asshole today."

Cora sniggers down the line and Derek suddenly wishes he hadn't bothered calling her. _"Sorry. I…Sorry. Go on. I'll behave. Promise."_

Derek stayed silent for a good five seconds before inhaling sharply and continuing. "He was Stiles. Yet….not."

" _He's not sixteen anymore Derek."_ she reminded him. _"He's changed. He's probably been through all kinda of shit since we left."_

"I know." he groaned. He hated to think about that. Over the past couple of days he'd been questioning that decision. That maybe he shouldn't have left. In hindsight it was so obvious that Scott would have needed someone to help him through. Derek had had a hard time becoming an alpha and he was a born werewolf, he was the son and brother of an alpha, he knew what being the alpha meant, even if he hadn't been a very good one himself. He should have stay and helped Scott. Been there to help them deal with whatever had gone down over the past five years.

" _I guess you're just gonna have to get to know_ this _Stiles."_

"Easier said than done. We were never the beers after work kinda friends. Hell, we weren't friends."

" _Firstly he was sixteen, I should hope you weren't taking him for beer."_ she chuckled. _"And secondly, maybe the reason you weren't friends Derek, was because there was always something more going on_."

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

 _"Isaac said he might have actually peed himself when I sent him the picture."_ Scott chuckled.

"Yeah, but he was pretty awesome on the field man. Of course I never had a doubt, I remember what y'all were like during games, it was terrifying." Stiles replied around his serving of curly fries in the Google canteen.

" _I still can't believe he's there. I mean, as an intern. Does he even know what he's doing?"_

"Actually, yeah. He's kinda smart. Not Lydia smart. - Hell no one's Lydia smart…."

" _Hawking?"_

"Okay, maybe Hawking. Though I'm pretty sure she'd argue. - But he's kinda maybe Danny smart."

" _Huh. I…I never really thought about it, but I guess he had to have done something before he became our stalker. I mean we know he went to High School, we found the yearbook, right?"_

Stiles grunts an agreement as his face burns. He's so glad he's on the phone and not on Skype right now because then Scott would see it and ask, and he wouldn't be able to lie, he'd end up telling his best friend that he might have, maybe forgotten to return that yearbook and that it might be sitting in his closet back in New York.

" _Stiles?"_

Shit. Damn werewolf. "What?"

" _Why is your heart racing? I thought you were on the couch in your office. And I know you're alone….awe God dude tell me you're not…"_

"No! Bro, that's….I'd never do that. - Well, at least not with you."

" _Too much information man. Shut the fuck up."_

Stiles grinned over his successful avoidance of the subject. "The problem though is that if we make it through this and get these jobs, we'll be working together. And you know how me and Derek work together. It's like a battle of wills man."

" _Yeah. - But it always gave good results."_ Scott replied matter-of-factly.

"I guess." Stiles chewed at his lip. "I'm just….we could be working together for years. Every day. Seeing each other all the time."

" _And?"_

"I'm not sure I could handle it. - I mean its Derek."

" _Because you've still got a crush on him?"_ Scott asked calmly.

"What? No. I….What makes you….No!"

" _Stiles I'm your best friend, I've known you practically all my life. You don't think I couldn't tell? You think I'm stupid? That I didn't put the pieces together?"_

"What pieces?" Stiles snapped defensively, like he'd just been accused of being a serial killer rather than maybe a little hot for Derek Hale.

" _Oh, I don't know, how about your sudden interest in whether you were attractive to gay guys the moment he barged into our lives? Or the look you sent me when I told Allison, Jackson and Lydia that he was the one that killed the janitor. - Or maybe the fact that you started throwing yourself at everything that moved when he left."_

Stiles swallowed hard. Yeah, he had kinda gone on a path self-destruction after Derek's abandonment. "Hey, that wasn't all on me."

" _Yeah. I know, but your feelings for him is what made you vulnerable, man."_

"Fucking werewolf memories." Stiles grumbled under his breath; not that that made a damn bit of a difference, Scott still heard him.

" _How has he been with you?"_ Scott asked cautiously.

"Fine. Ripped me a new one for the way I've been treating Billy and Nick…."

" _Huh?"_

"The two old guys. Well they're older than me, younger than my dad….barely. I've been…pretty much a jerk to them since day one." he sighed guiltily.

" _Why?"_

"Why'd you think? You guys weren't answering my messages, I'm stressed out. You know what happens."

Scott was silent for a long moment and Stiles just knew he was having a guilt-fest. _"Sorry man. I just…..you've been fine for so long, I guess we….forgot."_

"I know. It's not nice going cold turkey man. There hasn't been a day that I haven't at least text you and now I've gone two with nothing, and Derek was here being….Derek, and I just flipped."

" _And Derek called you on it?"_

"Yeah. Twice. We had these huge fights and well I might have maybe ripped him a new one for splitting on us like he did."

" _Huh. And how'd that go?"_

"I didn't stand there long enough to find out, but he hasn't tried to kill me so….progress."

Scott chuckled lightly _. "Well, you don't have to worry, I pulled rank on Lydia, and we're here if you need us. - As for the Derek situation, I don't know what you want me to tell you man."_

"That it's just my sex starved hormones and that nothing could ever actually happen because he hates me like ninety-five percent of the time and barely tolerates me the other five."

" _Sure. If that's what you need to believe. - Look I've got to go. Meeting with Deaton about….stuff."_

"Stuff? Hey man we had…."

" _His niece okay."_

"What about his niece?"

" _I kinda maybe asked her out. I didn't know it was his niece man, she was just this really hot chick that I bumped into in town and well now he's doing the protective uncle thing, like he hasn't known me for years."_

Stiles can't stop the laughter.

" _You're such a jerk."_ Scott snaps. _"I'll text you tomorrow."_

"Sure things." Stiles chokes out. "I'll give your love to Derek."

" _Yeah. Like he'll give a shit. Bye man."_

Stiles listens has Scott hangs up. Derek leaving the way he had didn't just throw Stiles through a loop, it had really knocked Scott off centre, though he refused to admit it. Probably because he'd spent months fighting with the guy and saying how he didn't trust him and wanted him out of their lives. But the fact was, and Stiles wasn't an idiot either, that deep down Scott had come to depend on Derek as a kind of pseudo big brother.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

They were all called back into the office at around four when the latest challenge is posted, to invent an app. They've spent ten minutes just staring at the screen of their computers, their minds blank after an eventful day. Stiles sat perched on the edge of his desk, aimlessly fiddling with his phone hoping something will come to him while Neha and Yo-Yo are antsy and still buzzing from the adrenalin of earlier. Stiles had gotten used to the adrenalin rushes and come downs over the years. Turning his head he saw Derek stretched out on the couch, an arm draped over his eyes. The corner of Stiles lip curled up at the sight, the werewolf's grey t-shirt stretched tight around his bicep muscles. Stiles shifted awkwardly, Derek peeking out from under his arm with a raised dark brow that said he'd smelt exactly where Stiles mind has been. Dammit. Clearing his throat he dropped his attention back to his phone.

 

**Message:**

**Shit man. Derek just caught me checking him out.**

 

_**Inbox: Scott** _

_**Is that a confession?** _

 

Stiles groaned and clenched his jaw.

 

**Message:**

**Yes, alright. Now tell me how to stop smelling like….you know.**

 

_**Inbox: Scott** _

_**Sorry bro, can't help ya.** _

 

And he's laughing Stiles just _knows_ he's laughing because Scott is like the world's worst best friend.

"Okay guys, let's take this new team spirit and let's apply it to this next app challenge. We got this." Billy said, dropping down onto the second couch, his hand knocking Derek's feet happily.

"Yeah. It'd help if we had an idea for an app." Stiles grumbled as he sent his message to Scott.

 

**Message:**

**World's Worst Best Friend.**

**EVER!**

 

"You bet your sweet ass it would, Stewie?" Nick replied from the seat in front of Stiles.

"No. Never Stewie."

"Okay, you don't like Stewie. Perimeter breach acknowledge, _Stuart_. - It'll feel good when he warms up to me." Nick added, turning to Billy and Derek. "You know it's gonna happen. Right? - I'll break you down like a two-by-four, bronco. Watch me."

Stiles frowned down at the blond. "Bronco? Nope."

"Let's brainstorm this puppy." Billy interrupted laughingly.

Stiles listened as they threw ideas around, pushing himself off the edge of the desk and walking over to the couch. He'd been on his feet for hours, he needed to relax, and it had absolutely nothing to do with getting close to Derek. No. Not a thing. He slapped at Derek's feet to move and the werewolf looked up at him with a knowing brow raise. His eyes flickering to the large space next to Billy. Stiles felt the heat creep up his neck and face. _Talk about make it obvious Stilinski?_ Then Derek was shifting his feet, just enough to make room for Stiles, who quickly took a seat before he got everyone's attention.

He probably should be paying attention to what the others are doing and saying but it's kinda hard when he's got the tips of Derek's socked feet pressing into his thigh.

"You got any ideas?" Derek asks him suddenly, his voice low so as not to draw the attention of everyone else.

Stiles turned to meet the werewolf's gaze. "Nothing that can be useful for the general public. - The _human_ general public at least." he added in a whisper.

Derek shifted on the couch, leaning a little closer to Stiles. "Meaning?"

"Well I'm sure I could come up with something for the more….enhanced members of society, like yourself."

"Maybe an app that warns you when you're within five feet of a hunter." Derek whispered, leaning even closer. "Would have saved me a lot of pain."

Stiles looked at Derek with a raised brow as the werewolf turned on the couch, setting his feet on the floor and joining in the brainstorming session with the others. Stiles watched him intently for a few moments as he batted ideas and information back and forth with the other. It was seriously weird, _seriously_ , to hear Derek speaking so much and so fast. He'd barely said two words together back in Beacon Hills. Now here he was rambling at the speed of a runaway train. Hell, Derek could probably give him a run for his money. Pulling out his phone he rolled his thumb over the screen to the camera app. He had to get this down, Scott and Isaac were never going to believe this if he didn't have proof. Aiming the phone at Derek he hit record and smiled.

He found himself tuning out as his phone kept recording, his eyes following Derek's movements as the man paced the room, his back to him. It was a slip of his thumb that had him zooming in on Derek's ass in the tight black jeans. He'll swear it to his dying day. And it was a groan of boredom when Derek turned and perched on the edge of the desk, arms folded. It _wasn't_ disappointment. He was still staring at Derek when Billy caught his attention. Rambling on about Instagram.

"Yeah, that's Instagram. It already exists. It's one of the most popular apps in the world. Facebook brought it for a billion dollars. That's billion with a _B_."

Billy smiled at him warmly. "Oh, no. Mine is very different to that." he insisted.

"How is yours 'very different'?" Yo-Yo asked with a raised - thinning - brow.

"Cause in mine, you put the photo out on the line."

"Online." Lyle corrected.

"Yeah."

Stiles met Derek's gaze across the room with a smirk, the werewolf rolling his eyes sympathetically. Stiles pressed his lips together. "When you keep saying 'on the line' you mean online." he corrected as gently as he could.

"Stuart, you don't do that to a man!" Nick said, turning to stare at him. "He's got a million dollar idea there!"

" _Billion_ dollar idea."

"Even better! Let him flow."

"You can't bring me down." Billy insisted, looking at Stiles in a way that instantly made him nervous. "Come here, let me share something with you."

Stiles looked at him, scoffing. "Nah." he shook his head, looking to Derek for back-up.

"Please. Come. I'm going to explain in a way that's visual." Billy waved a hand at him.

With everyone's eyes on him, and by everyone he means Derek; sat there with a smirk and a challenge, Stiles got to his feet and slowly and _very_ cautiously made his way to stand at Billy's side.

"He's bigger than you. Be careful."

Stiles wanted to say he'd face bigger _and_ won, but instead he stood silently trying to ignore the amused look Derek was throwing his way. Seriously it was like living in an alternate reality. _Now_ he amused Derek? He'd spent six months trying to get the man to crack a damn smile.

"So now. You're out there, you take a photo. Just pretend. Go ahead."

Stiles narrowed his eyes at Derek, who he swore just snorted and raised his hand pretending to take a picture, clicking sound included. Which apparently is all it took to get a smile out of Derek 'freggin' Hale, he wished he'd known that back in high school.

"So you take that photo, put it out on the line."

"Online." Lyle corrected subtly once more, because apparently Stiles hadn't been clear enough.

"Put it on twitter, whatever you want. That's Instagram." Billy nodded for confirmation.

"That's Instagram." Lyle agreed.

"One hundred percent." Neha added warily.

"I get it." Billy smiled.

"We're not dummies."

Stiles might want to argue with that, in fact the whole team probably does. We'll all accept Derek who seems to have taken a shine to the pair for some inexplicable reason.

"Point taken. Now let's go with my concept. Now you've taken a photo instantaneously or not instantaneously and then you take those and sent those out on the line."

"Online." Lyle repeated through greeted teeth.

"You don't have to say shit! You just say I like that photo and share that photo on the line…."

" _Online_."

"….with your friends. Now everyone's exchanging photos and that's why the photo being shared on the line will be known as Exchangeagrams."

Stiles huffed, pulling away from Billy and marching naturally over to join Derek on the edge of the desk, rolling his eyes and mouthing "Help us. Please."

"Billy…." Derek started only to be cut off by Neha's rant, and Stiles swore he heard Derek growl at the young woman.

Beside them an email arrives and Stiles watched as Lyle opened it, while Neha continued to rip Billy a new one. But all their attention is drawn from the argument to the smug superior smirk of Graham Hawtrey as he introduced his app and announced that it had already been downloaded 230 times.

"Do you think Argent will come after me if I rip that guys damn head off?" Derek whispered against Stiles ear.

And okay yes, Stiles heart absolutely did skip and Derek absolutely heard it, because the guy's a fucking werewolf and Stiles' defences are down. _Son of a bitch. "_ We can use this in your defence if it goes to trial." he whispered back as Neha started bitching again, God she's worse than Scott sometimes. At least Scott usually had a reason to bitch about how shitty his life was.

"Hold on. Your life isn't ruined. You guys are 21 years old. - Well except Mr. Silent-and-Dangerous over there. How old are you anyway?"

Derek lifted his chin and a single brow. "Younger than you."

Stiles bit back a laugh. "Barely." he added easily and quickly received an elbow to the ribs.

"You have your whole life in front of you." Billy continued with a smile.

"Do you even know what it's like to be twenty-one right now?" Stiles snapped, harsher than he intended. "A quarter of the kids coming out of college can't get jobs." he continued, softening his tone.

"That's a correct statistic." Yo-Yo nodded. "Mother says you can work hard and go to the right school, but nothing is guaranteed anymore. That's life. Sorry."

"These guys are right. The whole American Dream thing you guys grew up on, that's all it is nowadays. A dream."

"You're too young to be this cynical! You really see the world this way?"

"That's not how we see it, it's just the way things are now." Stiles replied quietly, glancing between the two men, his shoulder unconsciously pressing closer to Derek's.

"Alright, that's it. Everybody up. Here we go. Breath of fresh air time."

"Why? We have work to do." Yo-Yo frowned from the whiteboard a few feet away.

Stiles glanced up at Derek with a raised questioning brow, causing the werewolf to shrug.

"No. No, no, no, no. Uh-uh. Uh-uh." Billy insisted, shaking his head determinedly.

"No. Time to hit the reset button. We're taking it to the street. We'll get our heads right because we need to come together as a team."

Derek was already on his feet. Stiles stared at him a moment before pushing himself off the edge of the desk and inhaled slowly, following after Derek like a lost puppy. God it was like he was back in high school. He paused to let Neha slip between them, only for Derek to pause and relocated himself once again at Stiles side.

"Time to light it up forever and never go to sleep." Nick said enthusiastically.

"So we're following the moron?" Stiles asked, the comment earning him a slap to the back of his head from Derek. "Hey man. No slapping me around anymore. I'm an adult now."

Derek looked across at him disbelievingly, scoffing at the scold.

"Jack-ass." Stiles grunted.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

There were at least two dozen seats on the Google bus and Derek naturally took one near the back, at least until Nick insisted light-heartedly that he sit closer, the man grabbing Derek's shoulder and manhandling him into the seat next to Stiles when he tried to claim the one behind Neha.

He was getting to close to Stiles, allowing his defence - The ones he'd spent years building. - To crumble and that was dangerous. Because if he let himself, he could very easily find himself falling for the younger man and as Stiles had pointed out, loud and angry, he had a very bad track record with relationships. Not that Stiles was Kate or Jennifer. Stiles wasn't a crazy psychopath. Stiles wasn't manipulative. - And he'd certainly never tried to kill him or his own. - Well he'd been partly responsible for Peter's death that first time, but hey the man had deserved it. - Stiles had actually been the opposite, he'd gone out of his way countless time to help and protect Derek. He'd watched over Cora when he'd asked him to, without question.

Derek swallowed hard, side glancing at Stiles who had his head bowed, his fingers moving quickly over his phone screen. Around them the others chatted among themselves, which was fine with him, he hated to talk anyway. It always led to questions. Questions that brought with them painful memories and regrets.

He'd never had to explain any of that to Stiles. Stiles had never asked, which considering the guy's default setting was to ask questions endlessly until his curiosity was satisfied, it was well….odd. But then maybe Stiles had never asked before 1) he didn't have to. His dad was the Sheriff after all and knowing Stiles - the old Stiles at least. - He'd probably snuck a look at the reports. And 2) Stiles had lost his mom too, so he knew how it felt. Mostly. Stiles hadn't been the one to cause her death, unlike Derek, but he undoubtedly knew what it was like to have people ask questions.

"Okay. Who's up for Chinese?" Billy yelled as the bus pulled to a stop.

Derek pulled himself out of the seat quickly, he needed air. Now. Right this second. His head was spinning and Stiles was just too damn close. He followed Billy and Nick off the bus, chatting idly with the two men as Stiles, Yo-Yo, Lyle and Neha trailed after them reluctantly towards the restaurant.

They got a table in the middle of the place and start ordering. Derek purposely puts everyone between him and Stiles. Which gained him a questioning look from the younger man. A questioning and hurt look, but Derek's not in the right head space right now to deal with being that close to Stiles.

The food came quickly and he distracted himself with it. Though he can't help but look up through his lashes to watch Stiles take long sips from his beer. His fingers gripping the bottle firmly. Dammit. Now his head is filling with entirely inappropriate thoughts and frankly he's so glad he's surrounded by humans. Though something in Stiles gaze says he knows what's going around Derek's head. - Or maybe he's just taunting him just like he used to do back in Beacon Hills.

Derek wouldn't say he'd missed it. Stiles and his bad jokes, - And his teasing, sniping, taunting ways. - Not at the time. But _then_ he'd been too concerned with being a moving target. He hadn't given Stiles, Scott or Isaac a second thought. He didn't have to, he wasn't the alpha any more. Guilt sank its claws into his gut, no wonder Stiles hated him, and he deserved it. He'd earned that fury in the younger man's eyes. He'd abandoned his pack to protect himself. - And Cora. But they hadn't needed to run, no one was after him, no one cared about a worthless pair of betas.

"My friend here says there's a dance club down the street that's supposed to be great." Billy announced, dragging Derek out of his guilt soaked thoughts.

Raising his head he instantly found Stiles watching him and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Oh, let's hit it." Nick cheered, waving his arm for the check.

Leaving the restaurant, Derek felt his arm get snagged but didn't bother to turn and see who it was, he didn't have to. Not just because he could smell him but because that touch was all too familiar.

"You okay there Buddy?" Stiles asked with concern.

"Fine." Derek huffed, shaking off the man's hand and speeding up his pace to put as much distance between them. Outside he situated himself beside Neha as they headed down the street, Stiles taking the hint and walking beside Billy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this last part didn’t come out quite right, I don’t think. But I hope you’re still enjoying the ride. I’d like to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming, I love feedback, it keeps me focused. I’ll get another chapter to you as soon as I can. xxx


	4. Dirty Dancing

**Message:**

**Derek's being weird.**

 

_**Inbox: Scott** _

_**Weird? He's always been weird.** _

 

**Message:**

**No. This is different. He's been fine with me since the game and now he's suddenly weird again.**

 

_**Inbox: Scott.** _

_**Maybe he used up his 'behave like a normal human being' quota.** _

 

Stiles stared at the message, his jaw tight.

 

**Message:**

**Yeah. Maybe.**

 

He didn't like to think Derek was going to go back to the man he'd met five years ago, he didn't want that, he like Derek like he was now. He seemed less…tragic.

"Great big world out there, my friend…" Nick said loudly into his ear. "Just three inches up, I beg you."

Nick raised Stiles chin, and _Wow. Hot. Very, very hot. Shit._

"Any questions?" Nick added with a smirk.

Stiles' eyes widened as the barely clothed waitress grabbed his finger, raising it to her mouth and sucking on it. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ "Oooh. Oh holy shit, that's deep." he swallowed. His heart pounding and when had his pants shrunk exactly? She let his finger slip from her mouth after only a few seconds and he couldn't stop himself from glancing Derek's way, the look on the werewolf's face a familiar scowl. His eyes flashing blue for a split second and Stiles couldn't stop the smug confident grin that spread across his face as he allowed the hostess to lead him away by his finger, the others trailing behind him.

They were shown to a semi-circle couch and table. Stiles smiled at the woman gratefully as he slid in and Derek instantly followed him, placing himself between Stiles and Yo-Yo. A few moments later Neha, Billy and Nick took their seats, but Stiles was paying more attention to the way Derek seemed to be pressed up beside him and his heart skipped at the memory of how Scott and Isaac had been with Allison and Kira back in high school. Possessive. - _Jealousy, nice._

"About time this crowd had a night." Billy cheered as the drinks were set in front of them.

"Let the good times roll!" Nick yelled over the music.

Stiles looked at Derek questioningly. "You think you can fake it?" he smirked.

Derek met his gaze as he reached for his glass. _Holy shit_. Stiles cleared his throat at the heated look in the man's eyes.

"Yeah, but my mom says alcohol numbs the brain." Yo-Yo was saying in the background, not that Stiles was really listening, he was still in the middle of a staring contest with Derek.

Then Derek turned his head, breaking the eye contact to watch Yo-Yo. His glass raised as Yo-Yo agreed to the drink, the others cheering him on with pride. Stiles attention was drawn to his team-mate as the guy threw back the drink and everyone holding their breath as he swallowed, waiting for his reaction. When he yelled in triumph, Stiles couldn't help but clap.

They kept drinking. Apparently, only one shot meant four and Stiles was glad that at least one of their group was going to be keeping a clear head, because his was already beginning to spin as the alcohol began to course through his system. Though after years of drinking his dad's whiskey in the woods when the shit that was his life got too bad to handle sober, he wasn't nearly as hammered as Neha and Yo-Yo were in the first twenty minutes, but he felt relaxed enough to ignore Derek and his disapproving brows and incredibly edible jaw. - And his lust fuelling body.

The others disappeared to go dance, Nick and Billy dragging Yo-Yo off to get a lap-dance from an attractive blonde and surprisingly - or maybe unsurprisingly. - Stiles remained where he was; right beside Derek as the werewolf drank, never succumbing to the effects. "I hate you, you know that?" he slurred.

Derek shot him a look that might for a second have been hurt. "Haven't you always?" he huffed, reaching for another drink.

"Yeah. Damn werewolves and their damn no-getting-drunken-ness." he grumbled. "It makes getting you drunk impossible."

Derek turned to stare down at him where he was slouched against the red leather. "You wanted to get me drunk?" he asked with a raised intrigued brow.

"Not _you_ , you. - Werewolf you. - I mean. Werewolves. Scott. Isaac. - Why would I want to get _you_ drunk." he wrinkled his nose. "Though I'd bet you'd be more fun, you were always so….dull. Boring. Broody. - Sour." Stiles chuckled at the nickname. "Sour-wolf." he snorted again, slapping Derek's shoulder.

Derek stared down at him for a long moment, before sliding out of the semi-circle of seats. "I need to pee."

Stiles watched him leave with a heavy heart and a very light head. Okay so maybe all that teenage alcohol consumption hadn't given him a steel gut. Maybe he was a little more wasted than he'd like to believe. Oh, hey. Hot hostess lady. "Hey!" he yelled as the woman slid on his lap, her hips rolling seductively, her fingers carding through her hair.

"Exchangeagram moment, bitches!" Billy yelled into his ear.

Stiles lifted his hand to high five the giant doofus as the hostess continued to grind into him.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

**Message:**

**Help!**

 

It's barely three seconds between sending the message and his phone ringing.

" _What's wrong? Where are you?"_ Cora practically yelled down the line.

Derek winced at his own recklessness. "I'm at a lap-dancing club with Stiles."

Cora let out a loud relief sigh and Derek winced again. _"Shit Derek! Don't fucking do that, you scared the shit out of me."_ she panted.

"Sorry." Derek murmured guilty.

There was a long silent moment in which Derek stared at the cubical door. He'd needed to get away from Stiles, the guy was giving off a shit load of arousal and it was making his head hurt.

" _So, a lap-dancing club, huh? Not exactly what I'd expect for a first day, but whatever."_ Cora snorted; her tone a lot less angry now.

Derek groaned, dropping his head into his hands and rubbing at his eye sockets. "It's _not_ a date. We're here with the team." he clarified.

" _You went to a lap-dancing club for team bonding? Men."_ she huffed. " _So what's the problem?"_

Derek heard the movement of sheets and a mattress. "It's a club filled with half naked women grinding themselves all over everyone, what do you think?"

Cora chuckled wickedly down the line and Derek knew she knew. _"And by everyone, you mean Stiles."_ She confirmed. _"Ever thought about maybe taking up a new career?"_ she laughed hysterically at her own humour.

"What?"

" _Lap-dancing."_

"That's _not_ funny Cora. He…He _reeks_." Derek growled, so loud the cubical walls actually shook. Of course, his sister was her usual understanding self.

_"I was being serious. Well, kinda. Look if it's bothering you this much Derek, do something."_

"I can't." Derek rubbed at his face, inhaling slowly through his nose.

" _Is he still giving you a hard time for splitting?"_

"No. Not really…."

" _Then what's the problem Derek?"_

"There's rules."

" _What?"_

"Interns can't date Interns." Derek snapped before he could stop himself.

" _Who's talking about dating? I was talking about sex. - Wait are you talking….oh god, Derek I thought you were….Shit, this is serious."_

"Thank you so much for reaffirming my anxiety." Derek grumbled down the line. Sometimes he hated his sister.

" _Wow. Therefore….you want to date…..Stiles. Like an adult. As in commitment?"_

"I don't know. I…..this wasn't meant to be happening Cora. I was meant to be here to get a job, not a boyfriend."

" _Whoa! Now we're talking boyfriends?"_

"No! I just mean….God this is a mess. I should never have come back to California."

Cora was silent for a few moments and Derek could hear crystal-clear her moving around a room, clothes being either put on or taken off, then the groan of bed springs. He almost asked were she was but well he didn't think he really wanted to know. _"Derek?"_ her voice is cautious when she finally speaks.

"Yeah."

" _Have you….ever….you know….with a guy?"_ she cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Once. At college."

" _First time college or this time college?"_

"This time." Derek answered casually, like they were talking about the weather or something.

" _Wow. That's…..enlightening. - And Stiles?"_

"I don't know I haven't seen him in…." he trails off as the guilt bites hard.

" _I mean, you and Stiles. That never happened right? Back in…..I mean you guys weren't doing stuff when I dragged you away?"_

He could hear the guilt and worry in her tone as she skirted around the question like a line-dancer. "You _didn't_ drag me away. - And _No_!" he replied sharply. "He was sixteen, what kind of…?"

" _I'm just checking, calm down. - I wouldn't judge you if you had been. You know that right?"_

"I _wasn't_." the whole idea made Derek feel….disgusting.

" _Did you like him though?"_

Derek stared at the cubical door, his mind trying to answer that question. Had he liked Stiles then? He couldn't really tell. At the time he would have said no, Stiles was infuriating and challenging, he never listened to Derek, yet seemed to do exactly what Derek wanted him to. He never shut up. He defended Derek's choices and actions while bitching about them. He'd saved Derek's life without a second thought and put his faith in him too many time to count and what had Derek done? Let him down. Lied to his face. Almost gotten his dad killed. _Twice_.

_"Derek?"_

"I don't know, he was just Stiles, I didn't really….think about it."

" _I was just wondering is all."_

Derek can tell she wants to say more, he can hear it in her tone, like she has a theory. "What? - Just say it?"

" _Nothing."_

"Cora."

" _I was….Maybe that's why you threw yourself at Jennifer like you did."_ She said begrudgingly.

"I didn't _throw_ myself at….."

" _Fine, allowed yourself to be…..let her…..why you got involved with her so easily."_

"Meaning?" he growled. This was the first time they'd spoken about Jennifer since leaving Beacon Hills, though he'd talked to his therapist about it. Obviously leaving out the whole evil druid thing.

" _Like maybe you were feeling disgusted at yourself for liking Stiles because he was still so young and so you maybe jumped into the first available relationship to get away from it."_

"You're taking psych again aren't you?"

" _Doesn't mean I'm not right Derek."_

"Well you aren't. You're wrong. So incredible wrong. I didn't date Jennifer because I couldn't date Stiles!" he snapped, though the tightening in his stomach told him he may be trying to lie to himself. "I was….she was manipulating me. I wasn't really in control."

" _Maybe she could manipulate you because you wanted it."_

"Right, I wanted her to try and kill my pack!" he answered angrily.

" _You're pack?"_

"Scott's pack. The….you know what I mean!"

They both fell silent and Derek closed his eyes, letting the music from beyond the door overwhelm him, the pounding of the beat matching the one in his head. He'd called his sister for advice, God knows why, she's his baby sister, she was meant to be the one calling _him_ , not the other way round.

 _"Derek. Just….take it one step at a time."_ Cora said softly a few minutes later.

Derek inhaled sharply.

" _Step one. Go back into the club and have some fun. - Maybe flirt a little, I know you're capable of doing that, Derek. You're always flirting with the girl in the coffee shop around the corner and the collage library assistant to get out of fines. Go turn that God-given talent on Stiles and just….go with the flow."_

"Did you miss the part about rules."

" _Rules are made to be broken. - Besides, what Google doesn't know, can't hurt it."_

Derek couldn't help but scoff. "There's nothing Google doesn't know. Its big brother personified."

" _Whatever loser, go get a lap-dance. - Or give one. I vote for give one."_

"Night Cora." Derek hung up before she could continue to tease him, shoving the phone deep into his jean pocket as he got back to his feet. "One step at a time. Take it slow. Go with the flow."

He yanked open the cubicle door just as Nick dragged a staggering Yo-Yo into the restroom.

"Too much fun." Nick laughed as Yo-Yo rushed into Derek's abandon cubicle. "You having fun?"

Derek wrinkled his nose at the stench of semen and strolled casually over to the basins, washing his hands as he shrugged.

"I have to say pal, I'm impressed with your stamina, it's like you haven't touched a drop. - I bet you drank your college buddies under the table?" he chuckled.

"More than a few times. An iron constitution runs in the family." Derek smiled secretly at his hands. "My sisters just as….strong willed."

"Sister? How old?"

"Twenty-one." Derek replied naturally.

"Mine's twenty-eight." Nick smiled. "She's married to this douchbag, but what can you do?" he shrugged.

"Rip his head off." Derek deadpanned and Nick stared at him for a long second before bursting into laughter.

"If only, but I wouldn't leave my nephew fatherless, even if he'd be better off." Nick sighed. "What about you? Girlfriend?"

Derek shook his head while he dried his hands.

"Boyfriend?"

Derek's head snapped around to stare at the man, who instantly raised his hands in defence.

"Not judging. Love is a beautiful thing and I don't care who's sharing it. - And well I can't help but notice that you and Stuart are….well….letting off vibes."

"Vibes?"

"Yeah. - He's a good kid, even when he's being a jackass and you seem like a decent enough guy."

"I'm a good ten years older than him."

Nick shrugs. "So. Age ain't nothing but a number man. - So maybe give him yours, see where it take you."

Derek stared at his feet, his hands moving to slid into his pockets only for him to realise he wasn't wearing his jacket, so he had to thrust them into his jeans instead. "I don't know. - There's the whole no interns dating intern's thing." he shrugged.

"Huh, rules are made to be broken my friend."

Derek chuckled at the repeat of Cora's words. The sound of the cubical door opening to reveal Yo-Yo cut into the conversation.

"I better get back out there, supposed to be having a good time."

"Yeah. I think Stuart could do with rescuing from that hostess."

Derek shot Nick a dark look that seemed to only make the man happier, as he chuckled and turned his attention to Yo-Yo.

Derek exited the restroom and instantly found Stiles with his gaze. As Nick had warned, he was sat on the couch with the hostess grinding away at him. Derek's fingers curled into his palm and he hated that his claws were pressing almost painfully against the flesh. Determinedly he marched over to them, dropping back down into his vacated seat and leaning over to speak directly into Stiles ear. "Enjoying yourself?"

Stiles' head snapped around to stare at Derek, his face bright red with embarrassment.

"What to get a drink? - At the bar." Derek clarified firmly.

"Huh….yeah. Sure. - Huh, sorry." Stiles stammered, his hands gently pushing the woman off his lap. She looked disappointed and regretful for the whole of five seconds before turning on her six inch heels and vanishing back into the crowd of men.

"Where did you go?" Stiles shouted, though he didn't need to. Following Derek to the bar.

"Restroom." Derek shouts back. He ordered them both drinks and then turned to look at the younger man.

"This must totally suck for you, not being about to drink, like a normal person? The smell. Is it really bad?" Stiles wrinkled his nose as he looked around.

"It depends who I'm smelling." Derek replied warmly and for a second he thought Stiles missed his meaning until the guy turned to him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Stumbling over a reply of Hums and Ahs. Now that's the Stiles Stilinski he knows and loves.

Derek freezes at that thought. No. Not love. This isn't that. Its too soon. This might not even happen and love has never exactly worked out well for him. Turning sharply he snatched his drink and threw it back, really wishing he could actually get as drunk as the rest of their group.

He side glanced at Stiles and finds him still staring. "That's not attractive. The fly catcher thing." Derek said, reaching out and snapping the younger man's mouth closed with a finger, before pushing Stiles drink towards the shocked young man.

Stiles snatched it after a second and threw it back, then wavered a little on his feet. Derek's hand instantly shot out to steady him and Stiles looked down at it like he'd never seen it before, then looked at Derek, then the hand.

"Come dance!" Neha yelled, rushing up to them and grabbing their arms. "Come on!"

Derek moved to shake his head but Stiles was letting Neha drag him and his long fingers wrapped around Derek's wrist in a warm vice hold, forcing Derek to move. Neha lead them onto a dance floor and Derek felt like an idiot. He hated dancing, but Stiles seemed determined. A moment later there were fingers on his hips, once again forcing him to move. "It's not that hard Wolfman. Just go with the flow."

Derek stomach tightened and he knew he'd let out a growl when Stiles looked up at him with that grin he used a lot back in Beacon Hills. In addition, if Derek's heart skipped, it was definitely the first time. - Wasn't it?

"Careful there Wolfman, never know who's watching you."

Derek's fingers tightened around Stiles hips pulling him close until they were pressed together, moving to the music. He said he didn't like dancing, not that he couldn't and the moan Stiles emitted said he was using all the right moves.

"Y-you realize….we're meant….to be dancing….with the girls, right?" Stiles stammered, nervously.

Derek simply shrugged. "Rules are made to be broken, apparently." he grumbled.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

Stiles was sure he was going to die. Right here. In the middle of a lap-dancing club. God, Scott was going to laugh his head off. His dad was going to be so ashamed of him, yet probably not surprised and it was all Derek 'friggin' Hale's fault because god its impossible to breath with him so close. With their bodies so close together. With the werewolf's fingers gripping tightly to his hips as they swayed. This was insane. He's too drunk for this to be really happening. He's probably actually passed out on the leather couch while Derek is off making friends with a couple of exceedingly gorgeous dancers, because seriously _no one_ would choose to be here dancing with _him_ when they were surrounding by hot half-naked women. Well maybe Danny. Danny might not want to dance with the half-naked women. - But he wouldn't want to dance with Stiles either so.

He stared into Derek's face as his heart clenched tightly at the look he was getting in return. Derek's eyes were locked on him, all black and heavy, and yes that was most definitely Derek pressed into his hip. God, no wonder Ms Blake had always seemed so happy in class. However, that might have had more to do with her being a crazy-ass-psycho-bitch, than Derek's endowments. God he hadn't thought about that woman in years. - Of course he hadn't thought about Derek in years either. _Liar_. Okay so maybe he occasionally rooted around in the back of his mind when he was frustrated and needed a quick fix. He was only human and frankly, shoot him, Derek was hot. He'd never denied that, though no one had ever actually asked him if he thought Derek was hot, but if they had he wouldn't have denied it. And as pissed as he was with the guy, and he'd been pissed for a very long time, he wasn't going to erase a perfectly fine body from his spank-bank. That was just….insanity.

Stiles gaze was torn for Derek's when the werewolf gripped his hips and forced him to turn, putting him face to face with a grinning Neha. His back and ass finding themselves pressed into Derek's personal space and god help him it was awesome. Friggin' _awesome_. He swayed to the music, grinning at Neha while rolling his hips back into Derek, his hands reaching around to grip the werewolf's firm denim clad thighs. He let out a soft gasp as Derek's nose brushed against the tender flesh behind his ear, then he moaned louder, his fingers tightening as Derek's lips, designer stubble and all, swept up his neck. Stiles rolled his head back, baring his neck to the werewolf because fuck it, he hadn't gotten laid in months and this was Derek. Number one hottest guy in Beacon Hills 2012.

He swore loudly as a hand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him away from Derek's body and mouth, his eyes snapped open to find Neha grinning and laughing. "You look so hot. I know just what you need." she smirked mischievously.

Stiles shot a helpless look over his shoulder and his gut tightened at the one he got thrown after him. A moment later Derek vanished from sight as Neha dragged Stiles into a glass booth with a constant shower of cool water. His breath caught at the first touch of it to his skin, but then Neha shoved him towards the front of the window and he caught Derek's gaze. Watching him. Intent. Dark. - Electric blue.

There were hands on his hips again, but they were lighter, softer, but just as demanded. He didn't bother turning to see if it was Neha or one of the dancers, he just let the hands guide him. His gaze never once leaving Derek's. He knew he'd gotten Derek's attention because he can see the flash of blue in the dark and it made his stomach tight and his heart race.

It suddenly hit just how surreal this whole thing was. Not just the dancing for Derek's entertainment, but being around the man again after so many years. The weirdest part was it wasn't weird, not really, not in the way he would have expected. And maybe it's the alcohol in his system. Maybe it's the incessant pounding in his head and beat of the music, but he thinks that maybe he's missed him all these years. That the werewolf had maybe been that secret little wish he made upon a star when he was out patrolling the woods of Beacon Hills. That all that hostility was just a front. Foreplay in their crazy little world. But the problem with wishes is that they can't come true, so maybe the reason this isn't weird is because it isn't real and tomorrow he'll wake up and all this is just an insane alcohol fuelled dream.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

Derek can't take his eyes off the way Stiles body moves under the water, the gleam of the club lights on his wet flesh. Stumbling blindly backwards he collapsed onto one of the leather couches, his gaze fixed determinedly on Stiles as the younger man moved around the box, his hips swaying and rocking. His shirt clinging to his toned body, firm from years of fighting. Fights Derek hadn't been their to help him win. He clenched his jaw at the thought and forced it into the back of his mind.

Neha was grinding up against Stiles in the box but neither he nor Stiles paid her much attention, too focused on each other. A leggy blonde broke into his line of sight, swirling her slim, glistening body in front of him seductive. Reaching forward, his wrapped bother hands around the curve of her waist and forcibly moved her to the side. She made a soft sigh of surrender and moved on to the next table and the next guy.

It was a good twenty minutes before Stiles, Neha and Yo-Yo staggered out of the box, dripping wet and breathless from dancing. Stiles headed straight for him with a wide smug grin. "Enjoy the show?"

Derek shrugged nonchalantly. "It was alright. Neha was working it." he winked over at the young woman, who blushed brightly, turning to dance with another guy behind her. Derek kept his eye on her, protectively.

"Huh." Stiles grunted. "We both know you want all this." he teased, his words slurring slightly, as he ran his hands over his damp body.

"Oh we do, do we?" Derek pressed, brow raised challengingly.

"Yep." Stiles chuckled. He shook out his shirt in Derek's face, showering him with the water, before turning and marching away. Derek rolled his eyes as he got to his feet to follow him towards the restroom.

A small part of Derek's mind was yelling that this wasn't a good idea. Over and over. For so many reason, least of all, Stiles is drunk. He doesn't think he's gone enough not to know what he's doing but come morning and sobriety Stiles might regret this, and most probably hate Derek for not putting a stop to his drunken shenanigans. Which ultimately would make Derek hate himself, because there was still a ton of shit to be dealt with without adding more.

But his body wouldn't be told. As he watched Stiles skim his way through the crowd to the restroom, he was unable to resist following. The way the younger man's damp clothing clung to his slim yet toned form, the curve of his ass in the tight dark jeans, had Derek's heart hammering almost out of his chest. He'd waited so long for a chance with Stiles. - If you listened to Cora, anyway. Which apparently he was.

Stiles pushed open the restroom door and vanished inside, and Derek forced a breath into his lungs, pressing his palm flat against the door, pushing it with hardly any strength at all. He glanced around nervously to insure himself they were not being watched as he stepped over the threshold. The room was empty, or at least it seemed empty, but Derek could hear the racing of Stiles heart, the smell of his excitement and desire seeping from the far cubical. With cautious footsteps he approached, his hands trembling at his side, his breathing heavy and fast. The door hung wide open, Stiles stood with his palms pressed to either side of the tiny box, a questioning brow raised as he waited for Derek to step closer.

Derek inhaled sharply at the changeling smirk on the younger man's lips, lips he'd been fantasizing about for days.

"You just gonna stand there?" Stiles asked, his voice surprisingly level, if a little deeper than normal. "I'm kinda getting a little chilly in here. In these wet clothes. On my own."

Stiles wasn't a teenager anymore Derek told himself. He was an adult. They were both adults. They didn't answer to anyone anymore. Derek took a step forward…..then froze.

His head snapped around to stare at the door, his attention drawn away from the younger man to a commotion beyond. Nick and Billy's voiced catching his hearing instantly. "We need to go." Derek informed Stiles, already - and very regretfully. - turning away from the cubical.

"Now?" Stiles whined, but he was moving to follow. His own instincts, or what could probably be described as training, telling him this wasn't a Derek ditching out thing, but a we've got trouble thing.

They were out of the restroom and across the bar in moments to find Neha and Yo-Yo already there. Derek growled protectively but it was swallowed by the music, the only one actually hearing it being Stiles. He probably should have seen the punch coming, and later he'd blame it on having Stiles so close. Smelling so good. - But he didn't, so he was a little unprepared when the fight broke out. His surprise through lasted seconds before he was throwing his own punches. - Holding back just enough not to actually kill anyone. - He caught sight of Stiles and once again found himself watching him. He fought like he'd been born to it or like he'd been having to fight for his life the past five years.

It wasn't a long fight and soon they were being escorted, or more accurately dragged from the building. Out in the cool night air of San Francisco they hovered on the sidewalk, unsure where to go. What to do next. Then Nick was leading the way, Billy and the others behind him. Stiles shot him a brief regretful look before rushing to tag along while Derek dragged his feet. There was a feeling in his gut that universe was giving him a sign and maybe it was time he started paying attention to signs, or more precisely his gut instant. The same instincts that had told him Kate and Jennifer were maybe too good to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: 29th July 2015. I altered the conversation between Derek and Cora in the men's room from a text conversation to an actually phone call because in re-reading this I realized that if my brother had text the word help to me, I wouldn't text back, I'd called.
> 
> Thanks for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	5. The Breakfast Club

Stiles stared out over San Francisco harbour, Nick perched on a post beside him. He wasn't exactly sober but he was a lot more clear headed than two hours ago, which was why he was keeping as much distance between him and Derek as possible, though he could feel the man's eyes on him almost every second.

He still couldn't believe he'd dancing with the guy, or for him. In water. - And they'd almost….in a restroom. If Lyle hadn't gotten threatened by that dickwad god only knew what would have happened. Okay, so maybe god wasn't the only one that knew. He had a very active imagination. If he was honest, he wasn't all that sure if he felt regret or relief. He certainly didn't want to taint their relationship with a drunken hook-up in a nightclub restroom if there was a chance that they'd be working together in the future. Not that that was looking likely at present, they still hadn't come up with an app and he was beginning to doubt they would.

And what if they did do something and they didn't get the jobs? Stiles would return to New York to finish his final year at college before heading back to Beacon Hills. Derek lived in New York too, so maybe they'd see each other, maybe this would blossom into something, but he'd leave for home and Derek would stay, because the small town held too many memories for the werewolf. Bad memories. Too much history. And Scott was the alpha and he was probably even more pissed at Derek than Stiles had been, and as much as Scott is okay with a possible hook-up between them, he doubted Scott would be all that welcoming if Derek wanted to return to Beacon Hills. Which he wouldn't, because he hates Beacon Hills, so Stiles would wind up dumped and heartbroken. - Because he's a sucker and can't help but fall in love easily. Not that he's really loved anyone since Lydia, but then he's barely had anything that constitutes a relationship in…..ever. God his head was spinning.

"Look at that view." Nick sighed pulling Stiles out of his thoughts and helping him focus on something that wasn't Derek and their non-existent relationship. "Come on, you're not gonna see that in your little four inch screen, you've got to look up."

"Yeah." Stiles sighed. He couldn't figure why he'd given Nick and Billy such a hard time at the beginning. Well he can. It was what he did sometimes, ever since sophomore year. Ever since that…..thing got its hooks into him. He hit out, uncaring who got caught in the crossfire. Lydia cutting him off from the pack had set the spark. He'd never told anyone about his need to be close to his friends, who were practically family after five years of life and death situations. He'd never told them about the long term effects from those two months back in sophomore year. At least not everything. He didn't need them to know that sometimes he didn't feel like himself.

"Hey, you were an animal out there tonight, buddy." Nick grinned up at him proudly.

Stiles looked at the man wishing he could say he'd had worst fights. Deadlier fights. That a douch-nozzle and his friends paled into comparison to werewolves and shapeshifters. But he couldn't, the real world wasn't ready to deal with that shit, so he scoffed disbelievingly and turned back to stare out at the ocean.

"No, you were. Did you have a good time?"

Stiles couldn't help but glance cautiously over his shoulder towards Derek. The werewolf to all outward observers looking to be contemplating life, the universe and everything. Lost in the view of San Francisco bay. Stiles knew otherwise. Derek was listening to every word passing between him and Nick. "Yeah. It was alright." Stiles shrugged nonchalantly.

"It was alright?" Nick shook his head. "Why do you do that?"

"What do you mean? Do what?"

"Low ball me like that. Come on, I'm not going to take away your cool guy card if you admit you give a shit about something. Or god forbid you had a great time."

Stiles knew he was being distant. Aloof he liked to call it. He knew he'd been a dick the past week. If he was honest, keeping his distance made it easier to keep his secrets, because friends wanted to know stuff. They asked questions. They wanted to visit your hometown and meet your other friends and those other friends were for all intents and purposes monsters. So he played the jerk, - Well sometimes he wasn't playing. - and he hated it. It went against everything was. He came to think of it like playing a role. Stiles was the nice guy who care about everyone, who had a smart-mouth and a heart of gold. _Stuart_ was a selfish ass who would rather study than party and didn't date so much as hook-up when there was an offer to do so. "Alright. It was fun."

"Stewie." Nick whined, looking up at him with pleading blue eyes.

"What?"

"Come on."

"Alright. What do you want me to say it was the best night of my life?"

"Only if it's true."

Stiles looked out at the water for a moment before glancing again over at Derek, his heart clenching in his chest. Releasing a deep breath and fully aware that Derek was listening, he gave in. "Alright. It was the best night of my life."

"My noogler, come here." Nick grinned lifting his hand for a fist bump.

"My noogler." Stiles murmured with a warm smile as he lifted his knuckles to meet the older man's. Feeling relaxed and for the first time in a long time, like his old self. Inhaling deeply he folded his arms over his chest and turned his full focus once more on the view, fighting the urge to look to his left.

"So I'll go out on a limb here and say Derek had a lot to do with you having such a great night." Nick smirked. His voice low, not that it made a difference if he whispered, Derek would hear every word they said.

Stiles finally glanced sidelong to see the werewolf fixed to the sport, still staring out at the water. Though Stiles could tell he was waiting to hear his response by the stiffening of the man's shoulders and the extra tension in his jaw. A lead weight settled in Stiles gut at knowing that.

"You two looked like you were having a good time." Nick pressed when Stiles refused to answer.

Groaning loudly Stiles ran a hand over his face, trying to ignore Derek. How was he meant to reply to Nick's light-hearted teasing without either encouraging or rejecting Derek? He wasn't even sure which he wanted to do. It had only been four days and he was confused as hell. _More like five years and four days._ His mind helpfully pointed out.

"You know it's okay with us, right? If you guys wanna….it's all cool man."

"Oh my _god_!" Stiles groaned once more.

"I'm just saying man, that if you….."

"We _don't_ ….we're _not_." he just wanted Nick to shut the hell up, because the man had no idea how large and weird and complicated this whole thing with Derek was. He didn't know their past and it wasn't like Stiles could tell him….or any of them.

Thankfully he was saved from any more of this embarrassing conversation by a drunk Lyle staggering from the bushes and catching Nick's attention. Finally allowing Stiles to look at Derek without fear of being caught by anyone but the werewolf himself.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

Derek wasn't sure how he felt as Stiles words hit him. While he told Nick that there was nothing going on between them, his heart said otherwise. Suddenly Derek had no idea if he even wanted this. Suddenly he feared that he was making another mistake, another on a long list that would ultimately end up with people getting hurt. Namely himself and Stiles. Maybe he was just letting Cora screw with his brain, because he was lonely and tired of never trusting anyone. He'd always trusted Stiles, despite what he may have said to the contrary, he just didn't trust himself not to screw everything up.

They should just stay friends, colleagues, it would be better for everyone. They'd get though the next six weeks, win or lose, then they'd head back to New York to continue their separate lives. - Then maybe, if they were lucky enough to win, in a year's time when they'd graduate they'd be back here, working side by side. And if they lost? He'd stay in New York and Stiles would return to Beacon Hills and they'd never see each other again. Derek's gut tightening at that thought. To never see Stiles again suddenly felt an impossibility.

Rubbing at the back of his neck he tried to focus on the conversation happening in front of him but the only voice that got through the heavy fog was Stiles.

"Ah….wait, let's stay five minutes, you know….enjoy the view a little more."

Nodding absently Derek found himself gravitating towards the picnic bench, and Stiles. Dropping down next to him casually, they sat in silence as the sun came up over the water, Derek fully aware of the younger man beside him, fighting every instinct that craved his touch.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

Derek waltzed into the office three hours after getting back to the campus to find Lyle curled up in the corner of a multi-coloured stripped couch, his head resting on the arm, looking like death. It made Derek feel so grateful that as a werewolf he couldn't get drunk. He'd witnessed far too many hangovers to desire the morning after effects himself. Shrugging out of his jacket, he hung it off the back of his chair and made himself at home on a yellow couch. Neha, Billy and Nick all arrived a few minutes later looking surprisingly better off than their glorious leader, but then Neha hadn't drunk half as much as the boys had, and Nick and Billy had probably developed a tolerance over the years. - No insult intended. - They spread themselves out, Billy planting himself down next to Lyle while Nick took over the green couch across from the pair, Neha claimed the large red bean-bag in the corner, dragging it over to close the circle of furniture.

They talked aimlessly for another fifteen minutes before Yo-Yo staggering in, paler than usual and ready to collapse. Derek helpfully grabbed the trashcan from beneath his desk and set it down beside the young man as he dropped with a loud moan into the empty space beside Nick, his face buried into the cushions. A couple of moments later Stiles dragged himself into the office with a groan of complaint, which instantly took Derek back five years, before unceremoniously collapsing onto the couch Derek was sat on; toppling over the arm rest to land on his back, his head in Derek's lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. Derek stared down at him, brows raised quizzically. - And maybe a little accusingly. - For the first time in almost a week Derek had the feeling of Stiles being Stiles. This was the boy he'd known; dramatic with no regard for anyone else's personal boundaries. Especially not Derek's.

The younger man ignored his expressive eyebrow demand and tugged the rim of his black knitted hat down over his glasses, assumingly to block out the glare of the sun and protect his poor alcohol addled brain from further discomfort.

"Why the hell are you wearing this?" Derek demanded, tugging lightly at the hat. "It's like ninety degrees out."

"Says the dude with the leather jacket permanently pasted to him." Stiles countered, peeking out from beneath the hat for a second. His lip curling up in the corner at Derek's disgruntled argumentative face, cutting the werewolf off before he could voice a dispute. "The whole world looks like a giant pain wheel of death right now." he groaned, rolling his head deeper into Derek's lap.

The werewolf gritted his teeth and clamped a hand down on the younger man's head, forcing him to stop, his heart racing at the sudden heat coursing thought his body. He heard Nick say something but it was pretty much just noise as images of Stiles head in his lap, mouth stretched around his dick bombarded his mind, with no regard for his being in public. He didn't think he'd ever be so grateful to see Mr Chetty in his life, until the man walked in and Stiles shot up straight on the couch. Derek shifted subtly as Chetty announced they'd won the app challenge. He would love to say he'd been too focused on his own sense of elation and pride to notice the way Stiles face lit up and his spine straightened, but it would be a lie. His focus and good mood only dampened by Yo-Yo throwing up into the trashcan across from them.

"Okay let's celebrate." Billy cheered once Mr Chetty left, leaping to his feet.

"Coffee. Coffee is good." Stiles murmured with a pained moan, rearranging his hat.

"Absolutely. Coffee for everyone." Nick agreed, helping Neha off the bean-bag while Lyle and Billy helped Yo-Yo to his feet.

"Are you even allowed coffee?" Derek whispered so only Stiles could hear him. "With your ADHD?"

Stiles head snapped around to stare at the older man, a slight smirk on his lips. "Firstly; how do you know about that?"

"I'm not an idiot Stiles." Derek rolled his eyes dramatically. "I was hanging out with you and Scott for…."

" _Stalking_. The definition of what you were doing those first few months is stalking."

Derek glared at him and Stiles couldn't hold back the laugh, shifting his legs off the arm of the couch to place his feet on the floor. "Man, I missed you." he chuckled flippantly. "Second, I'm an adult now Derek, I know how to handle my caffeine intake. - But its sweet you care." he cooed teasingly with a small pout and a pat to the man's rough cheek.

Derek stared after him as he rushed off to catch up with the others, his mouth gaping. He pushed himself to his feet and inhaled slowly. A sudden feeling of being so much more screwed than ever in his life.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

 _"So bro, how's things going with Stiles?"_ Cora asked the second she answered the phone.

"Hello to you too." He sighed.

" _Hello. Now answer the question."_ she ordered with a laugh.

"Fine. Everything's fine."

" _Fine, you haven't killed each other yet? Or fine, it was the best sex of your life?"_

Derek groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why the hell had he called again? He had to study, go over his notes from that morning's seminar. He glanced at the computer screen in front of him and considered hanging up.

Ever since he'd made the mistake of telling Cora about what happened at the club, and Stiles reverting to his old self, she'd been bugging him to take things further. But despite the way he and Stiles seemed to have fallen into this weird gravitational field, endlessly orbiting one another, there was still a ton of baggage to consider. Not to mention the rules. He really needed and wanted this job. "We haven't killed each other." Derek replied flatly.

Cora exhaled warily. _"Is this still about those stupid fraternisation rules? You know for a hip, modern thinking company, Google have an archaic view of human interaction and relationships."_ she grouched.

"I'll be sure to pass on your disapproval to Mr Chetty."

" _You do that. I mean come on, this is the twenty-first century, do they think people haven't learnt how to behave professionally and keep work and sex separate?"_

Derek couldn't help but scoff at his sister's condemnation. "Like you and that guy at the coffee shop you were working at last year."

" _He was a douchbag and completely deserved that soy milk shower. He should just feel lucky it wasn't the boiling water. I was very tempted. Posting that shit on facebook crossed the line. - And if I remember correctly you wanted to rip him apart."_

" _I_ didn't work with him. - But that's why there are rules."

" _Okay. So normal people probably need them…."_

"And _you_." Derek added.

" _But you and Stiles aren't normal. You two are so far from normal your practically aliens."_ she chuckled. _"You guys work better when you're fighting, that much I remember from the short time I saw the pair of you together. - Imagine what you'd achieve if you got to have make-up sex after."_

Derek closed his eyes and forced the image back from his minds eyes. "Maybe….that's why we worked so well, because we weren't." he sighed, rubbing at his tired eyes once more.

" _Maybe."_ Cora conceded reluctantly. _"But I still think you should go for it Derek, this could be your only chance."_

"I know." he murmured.

They fell silent, Derek staring at his computer, thinking back to that morning and the lecture. The way Stiles had sat beside him, a little too close, his arm brushing Derek's every time he moved to make a note. Over the past week and a half Stiles had become increasingly tactile, touching him when he talked, sitting beside him at every opportunity. It was a delicious torture. "So how's Miami?" Derek asked, breaking the silence and seeking a distraction.

Cora seemed to understand what he needed because she began filling him in on everything she'd done the last few days. - Make that weeks. Despite the fact they talked almost every day, Derek's would-be romance was always the sole talking point. Though in his defence, Cora was unusually the one to keep on topic. No matter how much Derek tried to change it. She seemed to have an unhealthy fascination with him and Stiles. _Very_ unhealthy indeed.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

It had seemed like a great idea when Billy had proposed a game of volleyball. Stiles had jumped at the change to work off the energy that was buzzing beneath his skin, driving him crazy. He could feel that old uncontrollable need to be doing something screaming at him and he feared what it was lead him to do if he didn't rein it in. Especially considering that he couldn't seem to keep away from Derek.

He couldn't explain it; it was just that every time the guy was near - Which considering they were working together, was always. - he had touched him. Breathe in that harsh, musky scent. And the worst part was he wasn't even being subtle, he knew that. They all saw what he was doing. He caught Neha watching him with that smirk of hers, Nick and Billy grinning at him with a knowing look on their faces. The only one who seemed to either not care or was blind to it all was Yo-Yo. So yeah, volleyball, great idea.

Except it turned out to be the worst idea in the history of ideas, because it was hot and they were jumping around, which meant they were getting sweaty and considering Derek's bizarre need to wear that damn jacket _everywhere_ , he wasn't shy about stripping off at the first opportunity. Like right now.

Stiles swallowed hard as Derek dragged his damp sweat clogged t-shirt over his head and threw it onto the pile of stuff on the edge of the court. Stiles eyes following every minuet movement of muscle beneath skin. Yeah, this was a _terrible_ idea. He tugged self-consciously at his own t-shirt and groaned.

"Damn." Neha growled beside him, her lips spread in an appreciative smile.

Stiles hated the way he shot her a possessive jealous glare; that had her chuckling wickedly.

"Don't worry Stewie; I'm not the steal another girl's guy type."

"Hu….Firstly _don't_ call me Stewie." he chided childishly. "Secondly I'm _not_ a girl."

Neha's grin widened as her eyes racked over his sweaty form. "Believe me, I've noticed."

Stiles stared at her for a long moment; eyes wide. "Huh….and…thirdly; he's not my guy."

"No? - So I could….I didn't think so." she laughed; slapping his shoulder.

Stiles grunted frustratingly; his eyes drifting to where Derek was back in his place by the net, his eyes boring into him and Neha. Damn fucking werewolf hearing. He felt Neha's breath on his cheek as she tugged him down to whisper into his ear.

"Maybe we should make him jealous." she said with another breathy chuckle that really should have shot to his dick but didn't so much leave a tingle of interest. She pulled back but not before she pressed a kiss to his cheek and rushed back to her potion.

Stiles eyes met Derek as they flash for an instant in the sunlight and his heart did that flop thing it used to do all the time with Lydia. _Shit_. God he was so very screwed.

"You guys ready!" Billy called from the other side of the net where he, Nick and Yo-Yo were waiting, impatiently.

Derek turned to them, bracing his feet; that hard wolfish determination fixed to his features, his muscles rolling beneath his skin. It was lucky he was on Stiles team; otherwise they'd have no chance of win. Because there was no way in hell he'd be able to play with all that facing him.

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

"Movie night at Billy and Nick's." Stiles announced, marching up to Derek in the canteen.

Derek had been dying to take a break and get some air for hours, put some space between them.

"Hot chocolate." Stiles ordered past Derek, before looking up at the werewolf expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what? I didn't think that needed a reply." Derek raised a brow and reached for his coffee, walking away. He heard Stiles grunt unhappily then a rushed thanks to the guy behind the counter before he was running to catch up.

"You coming?" Stiles asked breathlessly and Derek had to stop his mind from taking a trip into the forbidden territory that was his fantasies.

"You didn't ask if I wanted to come to movie night, you just informed me there was going to be one." Derek dead-panned.

"I'm asked now. Jeez. Seriously sometimes it's like your still a sour-wolf determined to make my life as difficult as possible."

Derek shot him a scornful look.

"What now?"

Derek stared at the younger man for a long moment. It was the first time he'd used the old nickname since the night at the club, and as much as he'd always hated it because…..well, he really wasn't that sour, it filled him with a warm feeling in his chest. "What are we watching?" he asked coolly, taking a seat at one of the outside tables.

"X-Men. The whole franchise. - Figured the guys should see what Professor X actually looked like so they don't get beaten up by any more English professors in wheelchairs." he chuckled, sitting opposite Derek.

"That's wasn't funny." Derek scolded. He was still pissed over that stunt.

"Hey. We're cool. I apologized."

"I still don't know why you did it." Derek murmured, staring down at his coffee, the warm California sunshine beating down on him. He'd ditched wearing his jacket all the time two weeks ago after Stiles jib. Stiles however continued to wear his silly hat.

"I was in a bad mood." Stiles shrugged, not meeting Derek's gaze. "And I was irritated. They were getting to me. - I….I've picked up some bad habits over the years. I have moments…." he stared down at the table intensely, his features pale and pinched with pain. Derek could tell it was emotional rather than physical. "I kinda have a…..case of multiple personalities." he murmured quietly. "It's…..under control." he stated quickly, glancing up to see Derek watching him.

"Stiles?"

"Not now." Stiles shook his head. "I can't talk about it now." he took a couple of quick gulps of his hot chocolate which had thankfully cooled. "So you up for X-Men or what?"

Derek nodded. He didn't take his eyes of Stiles, concerned at the younger man's cryptic confession. Part of him wanted to call Scott or Deaton, ask what had happened but he wasn't sure either of them would tell him. That was if they even answered his call to start with and it really wasn't right for him to go snooping. If Stiles wanted him to know, he'd tell him. When he was ready. "When do we start?"

 

**~The Internship: Sterek Style~**

 

They started the X-Men marathon Saturday afternoon in Billy and Nick's apartment, surrounded by beer, pizza and junk food. Stiles, Lyle, Yo-Yo and Neha had debated for a good hour in what order to watch. By release verses by timeline. They'd settled for by timeline, beginning with X-Men: First Class.

Derek claimed one couch, while Billy and Nick occupied the other to his right. Across from him Lyle sat, twisted in the chair, his legs dangling over the arm, a bag of Doritos on his stomach. Yo-Yo, Neha and Stiles sat like three excited kids on the floor in front of the TV.

Derek clung to his rarely touched beer as he shifted his attention between the movie and Stiles, his gaze constantly being caught by the younger man's hands and throat. The afternoon rolled by at a calm, comfortable pace and for the first time in a _very_ long time Derek felt connected to a pack.

This had been what he'd craved back in Beacon Hills. What he'd hoped would come from being an alpha, from giving Isaac, Erica and Boyd the bite, but it never quite worked out and he knew he was mostly responsible for that. He'd been so focused on keeping the pack alive and together, he'd pushed them apart. At the time he'd blamed Scott, then the Alphas, but the truth was he made a terrible alpha. He was completely incapably of keeping a pack together. He wasn't a leader, he was a follower. And a pathetic one at that.

Derek startled at the sound of laughter and turned to see everyone chuckling. He hadn't caught what was said and hoped no one noticed he'd spaced out. Except of course Stiles had, he looked over at Derek with that look that said he knew just what was going on in his head and it was both unsettling and comforting in the same instant.

A moment later, the laughter died and Stiles scrambled to his feet, fleeing into the kitchen for a few seconds. He returned a moment later with a soda can, but instead of retaking his place on the floor, he dropped down on the couch beside Derek, stretching his legs out so they were laying over Derek's thighs. He lent forward and snagged the bottle of beer from Derek's hand and replaced it with the soda, before lifting the now warm beer to his lips, wincing at the taste as he settled back against the cushions and focused on the movie.

Derek watched him for a long moment, his gaze locked, fascinated by the way the younger man's throat worked as he swallowed.

"Billy said their Professor X was meaner than Patrick Stewart." Stiles whispered into his bottle, not looking away from the TV screen. "I told you they were over it." he added a moment later, shooting Derek brief glance, his body relaxed and comfy, like it belonged there. - And maybe it did. Derek thought, turning back to the screen and promptly ignoring the way Nick's eyes watched him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'mnot overly sure this scene came out quite how I planned it. I'll get the next chapter to you as soon as I can. 
> 
> THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT WITH THIS STORY. :) I'm glad you've enjoying it.


	6. Some Kind of Wonderful

Things were weird, yet….normal, and Stiles had to admit it was kind of freaking him out just a little. When he wasn't watching the way Derek moved, or fantasizing about the way he _might_ move. _In_ _bed_. Hot and sweaty. - He was arguing with the guy over the smallest thing, which was what made it all so normal. It was like they'd been shoved back in time five years. But what made it freaky was that none of the other seemed bothered by it, in fact they seemed more amused than anything. And maybe that had something to do with them being on a roll. They'd won at least half the challenges, and where looking at actually winning this thing.

Which brought to the forefront of Stiles mind the fact that he might actually get this job. That he might actually be facing a future working at Google. With Derek. And he wasn't sure if he was disappointed or excited. This still wasn't his life's goal, he still wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, and he still wanted to be Sheriff. He still wanted to go home. - But the idea of working with Derek every day for the next…who knows how long, just filled him with….eager anticipations and more than a little excitement. It also made him incredible nervous because the tension between them now is easy, even fun in that foreplay kind of way, but they're looking at years of it. Years of being practically in each other's pockets. And the company had rules. Rules that didn't just apply to interns. And how long before the sexual tension turned from fun to deadly? How long before it started eating away at them till they couldn't stand to be in the same room as one another? That thought filled Stiles with dread, because he was really beginning to like Derek. In a way he couldn't have thought possible five years ago.

So maybe that was why he was standing in front of Derek's building, his heart pounding, staring at the door. He sighed as he took a cautious step forwards. Nick's words from that afternoon haunting him. _"You'll never know unless you take the chance, Stewie. Screw the rules. Your life can't just be about work."_ Nick had been on a high for days after finally talking the mentor he'd been chasing for weeks into a date. And it seemed he was feeling in the mood to match-make.

Stiles swallowed as he stepped up to the door of the building, his hands shaking and sweaty. What if Derek didn't let him in? What if he didn't want this the way Stiles did? Stiles paused, doubtful. Maybe this was a huge gaping mistake. He should go back to his own room and study up for tomorrows challenge. - But then the door opened and a couple of girls jogged out, grinning at him, holding the door for him. "Thanks." he murmured, taking it and stepping over the threshold. _Okay you're here. Just go for it. Take the chance_.

Stiles headed up to the second floor and took his time along the too short corridor, his heart racing. He was in no doubt that Derek knew he was there, hell the werewolf had probably heard him outside. He was proven right when he reached Derek's room and found the door open. Inhaling slowly, bracing himself for either rejection, or the more intimidating possibility that he might actually get lucky, he crossed the threshold and followed the sound of the TV. Derek was slouched on the small pale green couch watching reruns of Mad Men. Stiles couldn't help but smirk, he'd kind of imagined Derek as the National Geographic or Animal Planet kinda guy. Derek's head turned to stare up at him.

"You going to stand there all night?"

Stiles shrugged. "Thinking about it." then he stepped over Derek's outstretched legs and dropped down next to him on the couch. As always, he pressed himself close to the man's impressive form. He didn't say anything, and neither did Derek. Before Stiles knew it he was leaning intimately into Derek, watching TV in a comfortable silence. When a commercial break finally came around, Derek tilted his head to look at him.

"So, why you here? Nervous about tomorrow?"

Stiles scoffed. "Hardly. - Okay, I'm a little nervous. Bill doesn't seem…."

"He'll be fine." Derek sighed. Getting to his feet he headed for the small kitchenette. He returned a few moments later, a bottle of beer in one hand and a soda in the other. Dropping back down onto the couch he handed Stiles the beer.

"You know someone should come up with werewolf friendly beer." he remarked, lifting the bottle to his lips.

"They have." Derek replied matter-of-factly.

Stiles head snapped around to stare wide eyed at the ex-alpha. "What now?"

"They have. I just choose not the drink it."

Stiles shifting around on the couch, lifting and folding his legs till he faced Derek. "You're shitting me, right?"

Derek shook his head. "It's made with traces of a plant much like Dandelion, which is from the Wolf's Bane family, but harmless. - I don't…like not being in control." he shook his head.

"I can't believe…." Stiles murmured, his mouth hanging open. "Dude, why didn't you tell us!" he practically yelled.

"Because you were sixteen. Why would I tell you that?"

"Because!" Stiles yelped. "We're like…." part of his mind wanted to say friends, another screamed pack. But the truth was back then….and maybe now, they'd never really been either. "So where do you get it? I still owe Scott a birthday gift."

Derek shrugged.

Stiles swivelled back around on the couch, his head dropping back against the cushions. "And it's probably the one thing Google can't tell us." he sighed.

He felt movement beside him and looked up to see Derek, laptop open, fingers moving swiftly over the keys. A moment later the computer was being thrust at him. "It's called the internet, Stiles." Derek said pointedly, and Stiles smiled. Glancing from the werewolf to the screen where there was a website.

"I thought you didn't know where to get it?"

Derek huffed, shrugging again and Stiles chuckled as he scanned the web page that looked like a wholly innocent beverage site.

"This is all normal."

Derek leant into him, his face so close to Stiles, the younger man could feel his breathe on his cheek. Then he tapped at the screen. "Click there."

The icon was so small it was almost invisible. "What is it?"

"Secret handshake." Derek replied, leaning back to finish watching his show.

Stiles followed the man's instructions, moving the arrow to a small round swirl that now he really looked was so blatantly obvious. He clicked and was instantly taken to another site. "Shit. _Awesome_."

He stared at the website. A werewolf website that seemed to sell everything a pack could want. - Including Dandelion laced drinks. - "Fucking awesome!" he yelped, shifting on the couch. "I can't believe I never found this. How did I never find this?"

"Because it's protected. You can't just type in werewolf and expect to be lead straight to werewolf run sites." Derek informed him, eyes never leaving the TV. "We don't want just anyone to find out."

"But what about new werewolf. They need…."

"New werewolves have Alphas. Alphas know about the sites."

"Scott didn't."

Derek dropped his gaze guiltily. "I…..didn't Aidan or Ethan tell him?"

Stiles shook his head, while searching the site, fascinated. "Not unless Scott was keeping this from me."

"I guess they just assumed I would have." he murmured regretfully.

"Man, if I didn't know better I'd think that this was some kind of S&M site." Stiles said, his eyes scanning a page of chains.

Derek craned his neck to see and inhaled sharply. "Those aren't for….their…."

"For restraint during the full moon, I know, genius." Stiles rolled his eyes. "I didn't think they were actually for sex. - Though I'm sure there's nothing stopping them being used for non-full moon activities."

The heavy silence stretched between them as Stiles turned to smirk meaningfully at Derek, who was staring at him like a dog stared at a bone. The ex-alpha swallowed hard and Stiles' smirk turned into a full blown cocky grin.

"Have you ever used them for non-full moo…?"

"No!" Derek choked.

"Would you want to?" Stiles loved how low and husky his voice sounded. Though the uncontrollable hammering of his heart probably belied his confidence.

"Stiles." Derek breathed.

"Derek." the younger man mirrored, his eyes burning into the werewolf.

"I….I think….maybe you should…."

Stiles didn't give him the chance to finish, he didn't want to hear the rejection. Nick's words rang in his head and in a heartbeat Stiles was leaning forward, closing the gap between them, pushing his lips firmly against Derek's. That seemed to be all the encouragement the man needed because a second later Derek was kissing him back. Stiles cupped Derek's jaw as he sucked on the werewolf's lower lip, then opened his mouth inviting Derek to come and play. The first touch of the man's tongue against his own sent bright sparks of heat rocketing though Stiles, making him gaps and push closer. The weight on his lap disappeared as the laptop was lifted, the sound of it hitting the wood of the coffee table muffled by the blood racing though Stiles ears. He was kissing Derek. He was making out on a couch with Derek frigging Hale. It was almost impossible to process. He brain short circuited when he felt Derek's hand curve around his hip, his fingers slipping unexpectedly beneath the hem of his t-shirt.

Stiles moaned and a moment later Derek's whole body was pressing against his, forcing him back against the couch cushions. Stiles combed his fingers through Derek's thick dark hair, then dragged his nails over the man's scalp. The moan Derek released rumbled through them both and shot straight to Stiles groin. He was panting like Scott during an asthma attack when Derek broke the intense deep kiss to drag his lips along the curve of Stiles jaw and neck. Sucking on the skin with such force it wouldn't take long to bruise.

"Ho-How did we….not do this…..before?" he panted. His hips unconsciously rocking forward against Derek's thigh.

Derek kept sucking for a few moment then lifted his head, sweeping his tongue up to Stiles ear. "Because you were sixteen." he whispered. "And as fucked and evil as you might have thought I was back then, I drew a line at jail bait."

Stiles smirked. "But you totally wanted to, right?"

Derek nipped at his ear and neck. "Not in the least." he growled.

"Liar, I don't need super werewolf hearing to know that's a lie. You were totally hot for me." he chuckled. "Oh my god. That's why you…."

Derek crushed his mouth down, silencing the younger man, his hand skimming further up beneath his t-shirt. Over toned muscle he'd been starving to touch for weeks.

They lay there, making out, touching and rutting until a sound broke into their little bubble. Derek pulled back to stare at his laptop. "Shit. I forgot."

"W-who is it?" Stiles panted, turning to glare furiously at the screen.

"Cora. - I….if I don't answer it, she'll think…."

"Answer it. Just…" he waved his hand to indicate that Derek should hurry the fuck up already.

Derek growled as he pushed himself up off Stiles and reached for the laptop, hitting the call button. "I'm fine. I'm alive. I'll call you…."

Cora was grinning at him, her eyes turned slightly to the side. Derek swallowed as he looked at his own little screen and saw Stiles in the corner.

"Hey, Stiles."

"Huh…Hi Cora. Long time, no see. You look good."

"You look…..flustered. Did I interrupted something?" she asked oh-so-innocently.

"Actually yes." Stiles grinned. "So if you don't mind." he reached other Derek's forearm. "Bye Cora." he said a moment before cutting the connection, the screen going blank. He then slammed the lid down before grabbing the collar of Derek's shirt and yanked him back down.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

They'd kissed on the couch for almost an hour before Stiles had moaned about a crook in his back and whispered about taking things somewhere more comfortable. So Derek had leapt off him, reached out his hand and dragged Stiles to the bedroom. They'd slipped back into kissing, stretched out on the bed, still fully clothed until hands had started to tug at shirts and waistbands.

Now there was a pile of clothes encircling Derek's bed, while the man in question was bent over Stiles crouch, his mouth full. Stiles' head rolled back and forth on the pillow as Derek tried to suck his brains out through his dick.

"F-fuck….D-Derek….I….Oh my GOD!" he yelled. His body went ridged, his toes curling into the sheets either side of Derek's impossibly wide shoulders.

Derek sat back on his heels, his fingers digging into Stiles still trembling thighs, his tongue sweeping over his lips. He stared down at a flushed and naked Stiles, the younger man's whole body glowing.

"Th…." Stiles tried to say.

"Well, at least I've finally found a way to shut you the hell up." Derek grumbled, leaning over Stiles, pressing their mouths together in a slow languid kiss.

"Blow me, Hale." Stiles whispered breathlessly when Derek broke away.

"Just did, _Stilinski_." Derek chuckled.

"Hmmmm." Stiles groaned with satisfaction. "You sure did."

They kissed some more then Derek arranging Stiles limp body into the curve of his own, his arm wrapping around his waist, holding him close. After a moment tiredness won out and Stiles broke the kiss to nuzzle his face into Derek's chest, sighing contently.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Derek lay listening to Stiles heartbeat, his own still too fast in his chest. His head was spinning at little. He had Stiles in his bed. He'd had Stiles in his mouth, he could still taste him on his tongue. And it felt…..wonderful. Fulfilling in an odd way, like he'd been waiting for this for his entire life. And what made it feel so much more perfect wasn't a shadow of doubt in his head. He wasn't haunted by the question of whether Stiles was going to turn out like Kate or Jennifer. That had been his constant fear the past five years. Every time he got close to someone. Every time he thought he could move on, there those women would be, taunting him. Whispering that every woman would be just like them. - Maybe that was why he'd experimented. He'd known then that it was irrational, but if he couldn't trust women, maybe he could trust men.

His first, and only, experience had been a disaster. He'd gone home with some guy from a frat party. The foreplay had been a little awkward but he'd gotten past it, somehow. Derek closed his eyes and thought back to that night, and swallowed a groan as he realised that the only way he'd been able to get though the whole thing had been by thinking off someone else. Someone he could trust. Someone he knew wasn't going to turn on him. Someone who'd proven himself time and again.

Derek glanced down at Stiles, and he brushed lightly at the younger man's back. That had been a year and a half ago.

When he'd woken the next morning and looked over at the young frat boy, he'd felt a tightness in his gut that had little to do with Kate and Jennifer's taunting voices in the back of his mind. He'd put it down to not being comfortable with guys. He's climbed out of the kid's bed and gotten away as quickly as he could and hadn't seen or spoken to him since. Hell he didn't even remember his name.

But laying there with Stiles pressed against him, Derek had to question that initial judgement, because he wasn't feeling uncomfortable or awkward. He didn't have a desperate desire to escape. In fact he felt grounded for the first time in too long. Maybe it hadn't been guys, maybe it had just been that one guy. - Or maybe it was just _this_ one guy.

Stiles moaned as he began to stir beside Derek, the younger man's arm tightening around Derek's waist, his face pressing into the werewolf's chest like it was a pillow.

"Comfy?" Derek chuckled.

Stiles opened his eyes and looked up at him though his lashes. "So comfy. - Your bed's way better than mine." he bemoaned. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not that long. Thirty minutes." he shrugged.

"So I don't have to do the walk of shame just yet?"

Derek glared down at him.

Stiles rolled his eyes, before leaning up to press a kiss to Derek's unimpressed, down-turned lips. "What are you even glaring at?" he chuckled.

"Nothing." Derek's head snapped to stare straight up at the ceiling. His arm dropping away from Stiles shoulder.

Stiles huffed, throwing his leg over Derek's hip and lifting himself to straddle the man. "I'm not saying I'm ashamed, genius. It's a say _ing_." he bowed to kiss Derek's creased moody brows. "You know, like you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Derek growled at Stiles, but his whole body relaxed beneath him, flushing with embarrassment. He pressed his palms into Stiles hips, holding him in place as he looked up at the younger man, his eyes scanning every inch of Stiles features. He really hadn't changed all that much.

"Any chance you can hand me those?" Stiles nodded to the nightstand where his glasses sat patiently waiting for him.

Derek reached over for them. "So you actually need these?" he asked, lifting them to his own eyes and noting they weren't just a prop.

"What, you think I was pulling a Clark Kent?" Stiles chuckled, tugging them from Derek's fingers and slipping them back on his nose. "Hate to disappoint, Lois." he shook his head. "I haven't had 20/20 vision since junior year when I got hit in the face by a lacrosse ball." he scoffed. "It just goes to show how fucking insane my life is. I run around the woods with werewolves, fighting things that go bump in the night and end up half blind because some jackass can't shoot a ball straight."

Derek rubbed his hands slowly over Stiles thighs. "At least tell me you won the game?"

"Dude, we've got werewolves on our team, what do you think?"

Derek chuckled, shaking his head. "I always hated it when they used their abilities during games. They were risking exposure every time one of them tackled someone."

"Well you know how stubborn werewolves are." Stiles released a put-up-on sigh. "Can't tell them anything."

Derek growled. "I listened." he replied sharply. "You just rambled so much it was hard to tell what was useful and what was you having a sugar high."

Stiles grunted, his hands rubbing circles into Derek's chest. "I'll have you know I got my best ideas on a sugar high."

"I'm not at all surprised." reaching up and dragging Stiles down into a lingering hot kiss. Stiles hips rolling back against his increasingly hardening dick.

"Can I ask you something?" Derek murmured, breaking the kiss. But not releasing Stiles face.

"I'm clean. Got tested before I came here."

Derek swallowed hard. "That….That's good to know, but not what I was going to ask."

"Oh." Stiles flushed. "Well I can promise that'll be my only display of premature ejaculation." he chuckled.

Derek groaned, his hands tightening on the younger man's face. "You just….."

Stiles grinned. "So what did you want to ask?" he rocked back once more. Laughing as Derek gasped.

"I….I just….Forget it." he growled, yanking Stiles back down and devouring his mouth. His hands forcing him back until he was practically sitting on his aching cock. "I wanna…."

"God yes." Stiles replied without even needing to hear what Derek wanted. Moaning as he rutted against the older man.

Derek reached over for the nightstand draw, yanking it open with more force than was necessary and sending the thing crashing to the floor. Stiles laughed, burying his face in the crook on Derek's neck. With one arm around Stiles waist, Derek reached over the side of the bed and grabbed the condoms and lube. Stiles was still in hysterics when Derek straightened them on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, waiting for Stiles to calm down. "Are you seriously going to keep laughing?" he grunted.

"S-sorry." Stiles gasped for breath, straightening to look down at Derek. "Sorry. It was just…." and he was off again.

"You know you're not a twelve year old?"

"Lucky for you?" Stiles smirked, pressing a kiss to the underside of Derek's jaw.

"Are you trying to kill the mood?"

Stiles rolled his hips, reaching down between them to wrap his hand around Derek, causing the man to moan, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Still in the mood?"

"Hmmm." Derek thrust the blue packet at Stiles, not bothering to open his eyes.

Stiles shifted so he was sitting low on Derek's thighs as he ripped open the condom with his teeth and rolled it on. When he was done he looked up to find Derek staring down at him. Eyes heavy and flickering blue. Stiles worried at his lip, before dragging his tongue across it. Derek reached forward, his fingers curling over Stiles hip, pulling him till he toppled onto his hands and knees over him. Stiles watched him intensely as he flicked open the small bottle and squeezing some on his fingers. Then he captured Stiles mouth while he reached around to press his slicked fingers against the tight ring of muscle.

Stiles groaned and panted. Rocking back against Derek's fingers as the man slowly and torturously working him open. Sweat began to pepper his skin. His heart was racing like a subway train and his brain had short circuited a long time ago. Probably about the time he'd ground himself up against Derek in a lap dancing club, because that was the only reason he could think of as to why he was even here. Not that he didn't want to be, it was just all so…..insane. But then that was his life.

"D-Derek….I'm…." he panted, gasping for breath. "…r-ready. I'm soooooo ready." he whined when Derek's fingers vanished but the feeling of loss was soon erased by the feeling of being so completely filled. Bursting his banks as he was manhandled down onto Derek's steel hard cock. "Fuck! God!" he yelled, his head falling back on his shoulders. "Oh my…..Fuck!"

Derek growled, his fingers tightening over Stiles hips.

When Stiles was fully seated, breathing hard, sweat beading his forehead he opened his eyes and looked down at Derek. The pair just watching each other while they adjusted to their new connection. Their incredible, blazing connection. No wonder Lydia only liked dating werewolves. He should have totally done this years ago. He'd been missing out and no one had told him. Damn Lydia and Danny.

"You okay?" Derek asked, his voice low and rough. Deeper than Stiles had ever heard it.

"I'm good. - I'm fucking awesome!" he grinned, lifting his hips experimentally.

Derek's eyes glowed and he moaned low in his throat as Stiles sank back down.

"Fucking _awesome_." Stiles panted as he repeated the movement. This time clenching his inner muscles on the downward motion. Chuckling when Derek choked on air.

Stiles kept experimenting as he built up a rhythm. Derek remained silent but for his moans, groans, whimpers and growls. His hands never leaving Stiles hips as the younger man rode him harder and faster by the second. His feet planted to the mattress, giving him leverage to thrust up, meeting Stiles rhythm. When he felt Stiles body straining at the bounds of his own orgasm, he shifted one hand to wrap around the younger man's cock. Stroking with an almost punishing hold in time with his thrusts. Brimming with pride and pleasure as Stiles whimpered and gasped, his movements faltering as his orgasm hit him hard.

Stiles tried to keep moving. Keep riding Derek towards Nirvana but it felt impossible. His whole body was humming, white lights were blinding him and his brain felt like soup. It was hard enough trying to remember how to breathe, but it didn't matter. A moment later he was on his back, his vision clearing enough for him to focus on Derek's face above him, sweat covered and red. His hair hanging over his forehead, wet and glistening in the lamplight. His jaw tight as he grunted. A moment later Stiles became aware once more of the movements of his body. Or more precisely in his body. He felt his back slipping over the bed sheets with each frantic, deep, determined thrust of Derek's hips. Stiles reached out with trembling hands to cling onto Derek's shoulders. The way his body was coming to life again, there was every likelihood held be coming again before Derek did.

As it turned out he over estimated his own stamina, a little. A few moments later Derek's whole huge muscle Adonis-like body went ridges and he released a deep rumbling growl as he came. His body trembling from the force of his release. Stiles gasped for breath, his head rolling back on the pillow, his own body catapulted into another orgasm just from the feel of Derek's.

Panting heavily, Derek collapsed onto Stiles, making the younger man grunt at the weight, but he didn't push him away, instead he wrapped his arms around Derek's back and buried his face into the man's sweat soaked skin.

"I….fuc…..awes…." he shuttered.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Stiles lay with his head cushioned on Derek's arm, his back pressed flush against the man's chest. He could feel Derek's heart beating as he held him close. The brush of the man's breathe on his neck and shoulder. It should probably have felt weird, it was Derek after all, but he wasn't the same guy Stiles had known five years ago. Any more than _he_ was the same kid. He snuggled deeper into Derek's embrace, sighing contently as the arm around his waist tightened.

"Stiles?"

"Hmmm?" he sighed, eyes closed as he savoured Derek's heat.

"Can I….."

"Again already?" Stiles chuckled.

"What happened to you?" Derek's asked, his voice low and filled with uneasy and awkwardness.

Stiles whole body froze and his eyes snapped open to stare into the darkness of Derek's room, his heart racing. He felt the panic attack clawing its way to the surface and inhaled deeply in a desperate attempt to stave it off. He never talked about what happened to him. None of them did. It was like those few months back in sophomore year hadn't happened. - Except for the long term consequences.

A hand pressed firmly against the centre of his chest, pulling him back tighter into Derek. The man's voice low and calming in his ear. "Breathe, Stiles. Breathe. It's alright. You don't have to talk about it. Just breathe."

Except maybe he wanted to talk about it. Maybe he _needed_ to talk about it, with someone who was part of that world but hadn't been directly involved in the mayhem.

"I…." he choked and coughed to clear his throat. He took a couple of sharp breathes before attempting to explain again. "I… - After you left….." he shook his head. How was he meant to even begin to tell Derek any of it?

"It's alright, Stiles. You don't have…."

"I do. I need…..I think I need to tell….someone."

"Scott doesn't know?" Derek frowned. Stiles couldn't see it but he could practically hear the man's brows crashing together.

"He knows, but we…..don't talk about it."

Derek remained silent. His hand still firmly pressed to Stiles chest.

"When you left….things got…bad. Scott was struggling to deal with being an Alpha, and with Isaac and Allison…."

"Isaac and Allison?"

"They started dating. It hit Scott a little hard. Luckily Kira arrived….Kira was this new girl at school. I don't know what Scott's attraction is to new girls, probably because they only know him as awesome werewolf Scott and not loser teenager Scott. - Anyway, with all that going on it really wasn't a surprise that no one realized something was wrong with me."

Derek's palm felt like a brand on his chest.

"It started with nightmares. Really weird, freaky, fucking terrifying nightmares. I just figured it was a side effect from the ice bath coma Deaton put us in, but then I started having blackouts and doing stuff I couldn't remember doin' and Dad got scared so he took me to the hospital and got me a CT scan and…." he swallowed hard at the memory. The fear of following in his mother's footsteps. "They thought I was suffering from the same thing that killed my mom…" his voice broke. "Turns out….it wasn't. - It was weeks before anyone realized I was possessed."

"Possessed?" Derek pushed himself up on his elbow to stare down at Stiles, his eyes wide with fear and guilt.

"Yeah. Some freakin monster took me over. A Nogitsune. Damn thing got in my head, started making me do shit."

"I….I'm sorry. I….should have been there."

"You couldn't have done anything. No one could. We didn't realize until it was too late."

"Too late?"

Stiles turned his face into the pillow, his heart hammering in his throat, stealing his breath and making him want to vomit. His head was beginning to throb as the memories came flooding back in. "I…I did a lot of bad stuff. - Hurt a lot of people."

" _You_ didn't." Derek said firmly. Forcing Stiles onto his back by his shoulder. "It _wasn't_ you, Stiles. It was this Nogitsune thing."

"I got Allison killed."

Derek gaped down at him. "Allison's….dead?"

Stiles frowned. "You didn't know? I would have…..Peter never told you?"

"No." Derek shook his head. "How….did you…?"

Stiles stared down at Derek's hand brokenly. "She was trying to save Lydia. I'd….the Nogitsune kidnapped her. When these other guys, Japanese warrior guys, Oni, came for me…for the thing in me….it took control of them and…." he swallowed hard, tears pooling in his eyes. "One of the warrior dudes stabbed her. - Scott hated me." Stiles murmured weakly. "He never said it, but I could see it in his eyes. And Isaac, well he didn't even try to pretend. If it hadn't have been for Lydia and Danny, I don't know what I would have done."

"But you and Scott…." Derek frowned.

"We're fine now. Strong as ever, but for months we barely said three words to one another. - It didn't stop him saving me, but…well…it was Allison, you know."

Derek's hand brushed across Stiles jaw. "It wasn't your fault."

"Maybe….but that doesn't chance the fact that Allison's dead. - And Aiden." he sighed.

They fell silent for a long moment. Stiles turned his head to stare into the dark, reeling from replaying the whole nightmare again, while Derek watched him. Listened to his chaotic heart.

"Anyway…." Stiles finally continued, his voice sounding so utterly wrecked and broken. "…since then I have on occasion been known to be a bit of a jerk. It got worse when I hit college and was cut off from Scott and the others. Luckily, Lydia wasn't far away, and then Danny transferred out to Colombia, and well….I calmed a lot. They're pretty much my comfort blanket."

"I get that." Derek nodded, settling back down behind Stiles. "That's what it means to be a pack. I had a really hard time when I left for college and then when the fire happened….Luckily I had Laura."

Stiles shifted around so he was face to face with Derek. "So that's why you went on a beta making rampage when you became Alpha?"

Derek dropped his gaze guiltily. "I was alone. I'd lost Laura, then Peter….even if he did kill Laura he was still my uncle, my last connection to my pack. I'd never been alone before…. _really_ alone. It terrified me."

Stiles pressed his hand against Derek's neck comfortingly. "You're not alone anymore. - You've got Cora and Peter….well, I'm assuming you're still in contact with him. I haven't heard from him since he left Beacon Hill's after junior year."

"He's in Los Angeles, last I heard. We don't exactly Skype daily. We're basically down to card on birthdays and Christmases. - I have to admit it was a hell of a shock finding out about Malia."

Stiles heart did a skip at the sound of the girl's name and he instantly dropped his face into Derek's chest, pressing small butterfly kisses against the heated muscle.

"Stiles?"

"Hmmm?"

Derek gripped his chin lightly, forcing him to look up, his eyes scanning the younger man's face. "You….you _know_ Malia?"

Stiles swallowed and shrugged. "A little."

Derek's green eyes narrowed.

"Look, I didn't know she was your cousin okay….not then and it wasn't like it matters cause we weren't then, and I said I did a lot of stuff I'm not proud of or even remember."

"You and Malia?"

"Once. Okay. One time. It wasn't like we had a relationship." he rushed to say defensively. "Though frankly I so should have known she was a Hale, she used to give me that look."

"What look?"

Stiles poked his finger into Derek's face. " _That_ look. The one you're giving me right now. The one Peter and Cora used to give me. That I'm an idiot and you don't know why you're even talking to me look."

Stiles stared into Derek's face, trying to read what was going on in the guy's head. Trying to figure out if he'd just blown whatever chance they had at having a….whatever this was. But as always the man was unreadable. He was an enigma inside a burrito. "I didn't….." he was cut off by Derek's mouth connecting with his own. Derek's large hand slipping around Stiles neck to cradle his head as he kissed him.

"O-Okay…" Stiles panted when Derek finally pulled back. "So….your totally okay with keeping it in the family? - Ouch!" he gasped as Derek slapped his bare ass.

"I'm really _not_. - And if we ever see her again, I'll make that clear to her _and_ you."

Stiles smirked. "Is that right? What you gonna do, pee on me? Do I look like a fire hydrant to you?"

"Believe me…" Derek murmured, leaning into Stiles face, his tongue dragging over his chin and lips. "It won't be pee she'll be smelling." he licked into Stiles mouth to deliver a filthy deep kiss. His hand curving over Stiles ass as he pulled them together and began to roll his hips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't intend for this scene to get so….heated. I guess I got carried away.


	7. Look Who's Talking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a bit of trouble deciding on a chapter titled for this one, but considering the conversation between Derek and Stiles at the end, Look Who's Talking seemed to be perfect.
> 
> Warning: spoilers for season 3b. (Though they may not be completely accurate.)

Stiles groaned as the scream of Derek's alarm broke into his nice, uneventful dream. It was probably the best he'd slept in a long time, a very long time. With another groan he rolled over, hoping to burrow into the solid warmth that made up Derek, only to find the other side of the bed empty. Blindly he patted the mattresses, as if doing so would somehow make the werewolf magically appear next to him. When it failed to do just that, he cracked open his eye and glanced at the clock on the night stand. **6 am**. He moaned at the injustice. Even after almost two months, he still hated that he was losing out on the joys of a summer vacation. "You in the kitchen?" he asked the empty room. He didn't need to raise his voice and call for Derek, not with the man's super-hearing. "Cause I need coffee."

There was the sound of movement in the other room and then Derek was marching into the bedroom, jogging shorts hanging low on his hips and sweat glistening off of his bare chest. Stiles grinned goofily at the sight and shifted around on the bed to further appreciate the view.

"You're not having coffee. You need to think straight today, it's important. - Here." Derek said, lowering the mug to the nightstand.

Stiles lent over and sniffed at it, his nose wrinkling. "What is it?"

"Tea. Camomile. It's calming and like I just said, you need to be calm."

Stiles pulled away from the mug and shot Derek a murderous glare. "I can be calm with coffee."

"And I'm Scott's best friend." he huffed. Turning he marched back to the other room.

"Hey. You can't just leave."

Derek paused looking over his shoulder from the doorway, his brow raised questioningly.

"Dude, you can't just walk in here looking like that…." he waved his hand enthusiastically at Derek. "…and expect me not to…." he threw back the cover. Because showing was always more fun than telling.

Derek inhaled sharply through his noses. "We've got a challenge to get ready for."

"Dude, if we don't know it all by now, we don't deserve to win. - And you did say you wanted me calm. Sex is great at calming a guy's nerves. It's a proven fact."

Derek looked both sceptical and unimpressed.

Stiles smirked. "You can Google it if you don't believe me." he challenged. "Or you know, just get your ass over here and we can….you know…test it."

And like that Stiles was laid out on Derek's bed, the werewolf covering him like a damp warm blanket, rutting and kissing, and groping until they're both panting and cum covered.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Derek glanced over at Stiles from his desk. He should probably be paying more attention to Chetty but it wasn't like he wasn't listening, he just couldn't keep his eyes of the younger man. Last night had surpassed all his fantasies. When he'd first caught the sound of Stiles heartbeat in his building, he'd figured he'd come to talk or maybe just laze around and bug Derek like the good-old-days. He hadn't in a million years expected the night to end with Stiles in his bed. Naked. Covered in his scent. But that had happened and now he couldn't fight the desire to have that again. Everything in him had wanted to keep Stiles in his bed for ever, screw his future, screw the team, and screw Google. But he couldn't do that, they both needed this job.

There was however the lead weight in his gut and the voice in his head telling him that he was running out of time. That this wasn't going to last past leaving Google. Win or lose. There was that odd Kate/Jennifer voice telling him Stiles wasn't going to want more. That he'd never liked Derek before, why would he like him now. He'd just been bored and lonely. It was just sex to Stiles. - And he tried to ignore it, tried not to listen. But that had always been the problem with Kate, she got in his fucking head and just wouldn't leave.

Shaking his head, he forced his gaze away from Stiles to Chetty, listening more intently. Praying the man's voice would drown out the taunting one in the back of his mind.

"The helpline is open…..now."

"Google helpline, my names Derek. How can I help you?"

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Derek grinned over at Stiles as Chetty called a stop to proceedings. The hour had flown by and Derek felt a hum from the adrenaline still rushing through him. He clicked his log file and leapt out of his seat, high five-ing Bill as he walked over to join Stiles, perching on the edge of his desk, grinning down at him. "Well that was fun." he murmured.

Stiles looked up at him with a wide grin. "Yeah. - Though I can think of something that is way more fun." he brushed his leg against Derek's purposefully as he turned his chair.

"Mine's not blue. Mine's grey. - Up in the corner."

Derek's head snapped around as Billy stared at his screen, his voice tainted with confusion.

"Shit." Stiles murmured under his breath.

"Is anyone else's grey?"

"Did you not hear my opening remarks?"

Derek looked from Billy to Mr Chetty, his stomach knotting. When he glanced down at Stiles he saw the same fear mirrored back at him.

"I heard most of your opening remarks, it was just that I was getting in the zone. I was pre-gaming…." Billy smiled hopefully.

"I was very clear that you had to log into your accounts so I could review your work later."

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Stiles whispered.

"Well the good news is that you've reviewed my work now. You don't need the instant replay because you saw the touchdown live." Billy said, sounding desperate.

Derek felt Stiles inch close to his thigh, as he listened to Billy's heart race. He could smell the fear rolling off the older man, as well as off the rest of his team.

"I don't really understand that analogy, but I do know that attention to detail is of paramount importance here and my instructions were explicit. Now if there's no recording, then it's as if you didn't even show up today."

Derek felt his stomach drop.

"But I did show up." Billy said brokenly. "I'm sitting right here, Chetty."

He didn't think he'd ever heard a grown man sound so utterly defeated in his life. It hurt, like a physical pain. Billy hadn't just become a friend to him and Stiles, and the others over the past month and a half, he was almost family now. They all were. He could probably even say they'd become his pack.

"Well according to your log….you're not." Mr Chetty said coldly. "And since every intern must complete the challenge for your team to be scored, your team will unfortunately receive a score of zero."

"Zero?" Nick groaned.

Derek clenched his jaw as Chetty continued to rub salt in the wound. He probably would have punched the guy if it hadn't have been for Stiles hand on his thigh, squeezing, keeping him grounded.

"Oh Billy Billy, Billy. What have you done?" Graham taunted over the partition between his work station and Billy's. "It's you lot I feel bad for. It's really hard to get here. Some of you are probably pretty intelligent. You deserve better."

This time Derek didn't even try to hold back the growl that rumbled out, his eyes burning into Graham with murderous intent, making the guy straighten his back with a sudden look of fear, looking from Derek to the rest of the team, probably wondering if they'd heard Derek. If they had, they weren't saying anything. They were all too bummed from losing yet another challenge to care about Derek's animalistic behaviour.

Stiles of course totally heard it, because the hand on his thigh tightened a little more, but he was laughing. Derek could hear the snort of delight as Graham spun on his cheap knock-off heels and split. But then they were just left with the heavy weight of frailer, and the over-powering scent of guilt rolling off Billy.

Derek followed the guy with his gaze as he pushed himself out of his seat and marching out of the call centre.

With a defeated sigh, Stiles got to his feet, along with the others and followed, Derek sticking close to him. They walked back to their office-space slowly and obviously Graham had spread the news of their defeat because they were getting those sympathetic yet smug looks from the other interns. Stiles dropped into his office chair and Derek perched on the desk beside him, the others all taking their own seats. The air thick with misery.

"Great. Another win for team Graham." Stiles murmured.

"And with one challenge left even if we're perfect it won't be enough." Yo-Yo sighed.

Neha nodded sadly. "We had him too."

"We did, but…" Nick shook his head. "It's a little hiccup, a little adversity, alright."

"Nah, Nick, come on, face it. Look Bill's a great guy and everything but he kinda blew it for us today."

"Yeah I know he…."

"The kids right Nick." Billy interrupted, hovering guiltily in the doorway. "I just wanted to come by and let you guys know that I uh….today…on the phones, I…uh…it's my fault and uh…he was right when he said you guys deserve better. I'm really sorry that I cost ya."

Derek watched Billy turn and leave, Nick leaping out of his seat to follow. He couldn't stop himself from slapping Stiles across the back of the head.

"Ouch!"

Derek glared down at him, challenging him to defend himself, but Stiles didn't. He simply slumped lower in his seat.

"Damn." Stiles murmured, dropping his head into his hands.

"I'm going to get a coffee." Derek huffed, getting to his feet.

"I'll join you." Stiles groaned, following Derek out of the suffocating office.

They walked down to the small coffee shop and stood in line, neither one speaking. When they reached the counter, Derek ordered two coffees while Stiles grabbed a Danish, then they headed out into the sunshine, grabbing a table as far away from the building as they could.

"I didn't mean for Billy to hear that." Stiles said quietly.

"You'd think after so many years around…..Scott…." Derek looked at him meaningfully. "You'd learn to watch what you say."

"I know. I was just…." Stiles shrugged. "I really thought we had a chance with this one. I really thought Billy was going to….."

"He tried." Derek pointed out. "It was a silly mistake that could have happened to anyone."

"Except it always seems to happen to him. - And I thought _your_ luck was shit."

Derek glared across at him, before changing the subject. "At least you have a back-up plan?"

Stiles looked up, regretfully. "What will you do after graduation?"

Derek shrugged. "I have no idea. - Find a job somewhere. I'll probably end up working construction. A lot of us do."

"Yeah, right….because of the….you know what."

Derek nodded.

They fell silent as they drank their coffee, neither looking at the other. Stiles fidgeted with his mug, turning it in circles, one way then the other. Biting nervously at his lower lips. Derek lifted his gaze after a few minutes, watching him closely, listening to the rapid beat of his heart.

"So….ever…thought about coming… _going_ back to Beacon Hills?" Stiles murmured into his coffee, fingers tapping out an uncertain rhythm on the side.

"I haven't really given it much thought." Derek said, shaking his head, hating that Stiles wouldn't look at him. "I didn't really have a reason to go back. Once Peter left."

"Right." Stiles nodded too eagerly. "Makes sense. No family there. No pack….I mean it's not like you'd want to be part of our…. _Scott's_ , right." he laughed humourlessly.

Derek leaned forward, his hand tight around his mug. "I never considered it, honestly. - But I doubt he'd want me. We were barely on speaking terms when I left."

Stiles finally lifted his gaze to meet Derek's. "He'd be cool with it." he quickly shrugged nonchalantly. "You know, if you wanted to come ho….back." His eyes instantly dropping.

Derek knew what Stiles was asking, he knew but he couldn't give him the answer he was waiting for, because he had no idea if he wanted to return to Beacon Hills.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Derek stared down at the laptop and Cora's beaming grin. Maybe he should have just called her instead, it would certainly have been less embarrassing.

"Soooo….you and Stiles. How'd that go? It looked like it was…."

"It went fine. Next subject."

Cora shook her head. "Nuh, I like this one. So where is he?"

Derek shrugged.

"Oh come on, you know where he is, don't pretend you don't. You've been keeping tabs on him since you first saw him."

"He's at his place. Probably still feeling bummed about losing today's challenge."

Cora lent forward. "I know you think you can lie to me and get away with it because of the bad connection, Derek, but you can't. What did you do?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Nothing. I did nothing."

Cora's perfectly shaped brow rose disbelievingly. "Huh uh."

Derek slouched back against the couch cushions and instantly released a cloud of Stiles lingering scent. He groaned, his eyes dropping closed as he inhaled.

"Hey, if you're going to start bashing off, hang the hell up."

Derek's eyes snapped open to stare at his sister. He could feel the heat rolling up his neck. "Huh…right, sorry." he cleared his throat and leant forward once more.

"So? What happened?"

Derek rubbed at his eyes. "He…asked if I'd ever go back to Beacon Hills."

Cora was quiet. Too quiet. Derek opened his eyes to see her staring right at him, intense and searching. "What did you say?"

Derek groaned. He's said the wrong thing, he'd known it the moment the words were out of his mouth.

"Derek?"

"I said I didn't have a reason to go back."

"Fuck it Derek!" Cora growled.

"I know okay but it's not like we've talked about this going anywhere. I don't know if I want anything more than right now, and I don't know if he…."

"Alright quit the bullshit right there. Firstly: You know exactly how he feels, it comes with the territory…."

"I know he likes me. I know he's attracted to me. I know he likes it when I…." Derek cleared his throat again. "That doesn't mean he wants this to be anything." he snapped.

"Fine, then ask him and then you'll know. Which leads to my secondly; you know yourself, Derek! You wouldn't have started this is you didn't want it to go somewhere. Especially not with Stiles."

Derek huffed. "Maybe I just did it because he's safe."

"Safe?"

Derek's head snapped around to stare at the door. Stiles stood with wide open eye, his mouth pressed in a thin furious like. "How'd you get in?"

"The door jackass, like normal people."

Derek's eyes flickered to it. He'd closed it, he was damn sure he'd closed it.

"I'm the son of a sheriff, you don't think I've learnt to pick a lock!" Stiles snapped. "I thought I'd surprise you…" he held up the bag of food. "Maybe get my own back for all those times you broke into my place."

"Once, Stiles. I broke in _once_." Derek defended.

Stiles narrowed his eyes at Derek's attempt to distract him from his anger. "Hey, Cora. Bye Cora." he said calmly, before turning to leave, dropping the bag on the floor.

Derek sat watching him go.

"What are you doing just stilling there dumb-ass, go after him."

Derek looked from the door to the computer screen. Cora's hands waving for him to leave. It maybe took Derek another fifty seconds before he was out of his seat and racing out of the room. Stiles was a lot faster than he used to be, but it still didn't take him long to catch up with the younger man.

"Stiles!"

"Fuck you! Leave me alone!"

"Just wait. I didn't…."

"I don't care. God, I'm such a fucking idiot!" Stiles yelled over his shoulder. "What the hell was I _thinking_?"

Derek snagged his arm, forcing him to turn and face him. "Just listen to me already, you can't walk in halfway through a god-damn conversation and think you know what was being said."

"I heard what you said!" Stiles snapped, yanking his hand out of Derek's grip. "That you only fucked me because I was safe. Well, how's this for fucking safe." Stiles' knee came up so quickly Derek didn't have time to react.

Instantly he doubled over, his eyes widening, glowing blue with the pain. A deep furious growl echoing off the surrounding buildings. Stiles wasn't waiting to have his throat ripped out, he was off. Practically running back towards his own building. He didn't get far though, a moment later his back it the solid concrete of a building, his head bouncing off it slightly. Derek taking up every square inch of his vision. The man's fingers curling around his shirt.

"Get the fuck off me!" Stiles yelled into his face.

"No!" Derek growled. "You're going to fucking listen to me!"

"Go to hell!" Stiles spat back.

Derek ignored his rebuke. "I didn't fucking sleep with you because your safe, you're the least safe person I know! You a fucking nightmare!"

"Fuck you!"

"I slept with you because you've been driving me insane since the day I met you."

Stiles stopped fighting him, his eyes meeting Derek's intense blue ones.

"You've done nothing but challenge me, fight me and dish out shit to me, and it's the most intoxicating feeling in the world, knowing there's one person who sees me as the loser I am."

"Scott gave you shit too?" Stiles murmured, swallowing his pounding heart.

"Scott gave me shit because he was angry, because he blamed me for one thing or another."

"I blamed you too!"

Derek relaxed his hold slightly, shaking his head. "No you didn't. If you had….you wouldn't be here. - You wouldn't have spent last night with me. You wouldn't be so angry now."

Stiles felt his whole body surrender, every muscle going lax.

"I was trying to talk myself out of this….that's why I said it."

"Why?"

"Because _this_ is insane." Derek murmured, shrugging. "You and me. Tell me you don't think this is insane?"

"Totally insane." Stiles nodded. "And kinda awesome." he added in a whisper.

Derek nodded in agreement, before leaning forward and capturing Stiles mouth in a deep kiss. Pulling back he gripped the younger man's face. "I need to know, what this is to you, because if this is just here and now….then fine. But…."

"I have no fucking idea, man. Two months ago you weren't even in my thoughts. I never expected to see you again, ever. Now…..you here and we're making out and having sex, really fucking fantastic sex and I can't keep my hands off you and your all I feel like I think about from waking up to going to bed and its mental, but yet normal…you know…like…" he trailed off.

"We've been heading towards this for ever?" Derek asked quietly.

Stiles nodded.

"I feel exactly the same way."

They stood there quietly in the dark, barely an inch between them, Derek's hands still pressed firmly either side of Stiles face, his thumb stoking comfortingly across his cheeks.

"Do you want me to come back to Beacon Hills?" Derek asked, breaking the thick silence.

Stiles shrugged. "Only if you want to. - I mean…I totally understand why you'd never want to go back there again. But….I have to. You know that right. It's my home and if I'm not going to be here…" he waved a hand uselessly around. "I have to be there."

Derek nodded. "How about we just….get though the next couple of days."

Stiles straightened, sucking in a breath.

"Then we'll head back to New York and see if this will work outside of the madness that is Google."

"That makes sense. I mean….they could be putting something in the water here that makes you tolerable." Stiles huffed.

"Me tolerable? Did you miss the part about you being a fucking nightmare?"

Stiles smirked.

"So now can we go back to my place? Cora's staring at my wall and my balls need icing."

Stiles laughed. "Shit." he looked down. "Fuck, man. Sorry."

"I can't believe you kicked me there." Derek turned and began to hobble away.

Stiles rushed to catch up with him, bumping his shoulder. "There's no way your still in pain, Drama-queen. And what was I meant to do…."

"Listen to me?" Derek grunted, the hobble he'd been delivering perfectly, vanishing.

Stiles utterly ignored his reply. "I learnt a long time ago, pal that when it comes to fighting werewolves, you use every dirty trick in the book. - Don't worry, we'll get you some ice and I'll kiss them better."

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

_"You did what?"_

Stiles gnawed at his lip as he balanced his phone against his ear while pouring coffee. "I kicked him in the nuts. What was I meant to do….? And don't say it. - You know I'm useless in a fight unless I have wood in my hand….Shut up, Scott I meant my bat."

Scott didn't stop laughing. _"Sorry man but….you're okay though right?"_

Stiles grinned goofily. "Way okay. Awesome. Fantastic."

Scott groaned down the line and Stiles just knew he was burying his head in his hands.

"So…anyway, I just wanted to you know, check in. You weren't answering when I called last night."

" _Oh, yeah….sorry about that….kinda got distracted."_

"Deaton's niece?"

" _Kira."_

"Deaton's niece is named Kira? Isn't that a little…you know, weird considering?"

" _No idiot. I mean Kira. As in…._ _ **Kira**_ _. She dropped by to visit Deaton. I don't think she expected me to be there."_

"And now you guys are…?" Scott remained silent and Stiles was sure he heard a voice in the background and movement. "Is she there?"

" _What? No!"_

"Again, you can't lie to me Scotty."

" _Fine. Yes."_ he whispered.

Stiles grinned, sipping at Derek's coffee. "Well in that case, I'll let you get back to _It_." he chuckled.

" _Right, your hanging up for my sake. Has nothing to do with you finishing making that coffee and wanting to get back to humping Derek like a horny spaniel."_

"We do so much more than hump my friend. Soooo much more."

" _ **Bye**_ _Stiles."_ Scott said sharply, hanging up before Stiles can reply.

Stiles laughed down at his phone. He hadn't gotten around to asking his best bud if there would be a problem with Derek came home. Whether there would be some weird frigging werewolf territory dispute, but then he hadn't even talked to Derek about that yet, the guy might not want to. They had come to the decision to play things by ear, see how everything went once they were back in New York. If things were still going good by the time he graduated, then they'd broach the subject of a future in Beacon Hills. - Cause he'd come to terms, as had Derek, that after losing the latest challenge, they were never winning this thing. - But Stiles had already planned on heading back home for a few days after the internship was over, and he wasn't going to lie, he wanted Derek to go with him.

Inhaling slowly, Stiles padded out of the kitchenette and over to the bedroom. Thankfully they'd been given a day before the final challenge and he had every intention of not leaving the apartment.

"I hope you haven't drank all my coffee?" Derek announced grumpily from the bed. "I knew it was a bad decision letting you make it."

"I had like one sip…okay, two. I'm sure it was only two." Stiles huffed, placing the mug on the nightstand before climbing over Derek to get to the other side of the bed.

"You know you could just walk around."

"Yeah, but my butt hurts, thank you very much." Stiles grinned.

Derek stared up at him, his lip curling at the corner. "You're most welcome. So Scott's good?"

"It's rude to listen to other people's conversations."

"I wasn't listening." Derek insisted, pushing himself up in bed. "That was a question?"

"Oh…uh, yeah he's cool. I can't wait to see him again though."

Derek sipped at his coffee, nodding.

"You know…I'm heading there from here, right?" Derek peered at him out of the corner of his eye. "To have a couple of days with my dad before heading back to New York."

Derek lowered the mug. "Okay."

"You could…if you want…no pressure or anything…you know…come with?"

"I don't know Stiles."

"If it's about werewolf protocol or some shit, I'll clear it with Scott. He'll be cool with it."

Derek didn't looked convinced in the least. "You'll be…staying at your dad's."

Stiles frowned. He hadn't thought about that part. Shit, he'd have to tell his dad. God that was going to be a disaster. His dad had never particularly liked or trusted Derek, and now he was going to be introducing him as his….whatever. Yeah, he could already see the heart attack.

"Probably best I go back to New York." Derek grumbled. "We can meet up when you get back."

Stiles worried his lip. Part of him fearful to let Derek out of his sight. What if he never saw him again? What if he vanished again without saying goodbye?

"Stiles." Derek's voice broke through the blossoming panic attack. "Stiles, I'll be there when you get back." he said firmly, reading Stiles anxiety.

Stiles nodded. "Okay. - I just….okay."

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Stiles and Derek slipped into their seats, Nick to Stiles right, Neha to Derek's left. They'd spent the previous day doing just what Stiles had planned, staying hauled up in Derek's room, watching TV, eating and having lots of sex. It was probably the most relaxed either of them had been since starting the damn internship.

As always Stiles was leaning against Derek's shoulder while the werewolf sat with his arms stretched out over the backs of the chairs. His fingers tapping out a frustrated rhythm by Stiles shoulder, as if they itched to touch but knew they couldn't. How they hadn't gotten busted yet was beyond him but then he was pretty sure they weren't the only interns breaking the rules, so he that is without sin and all that.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been an impressive summer."

"He can say that again." Stiles whispered, knocked Derek's thigh with his knee before grinned at him.

Derek returned his knee-knock and nodded subtly, he couldn't argue with that. Forcing himself to break eye contact with Stiles he turned back to listen to Chetty. He still wanted to punch the guy after the way he'd treated Billy but…he really didn't have that option. His gaze flickered to Graham, now he Derek could punch, and he would at the first opportunity.

"And one final challenge remains. Sales. Over a million companies advertise with Google, find one that doesn't…."

Derek turned to see Stiles face light up and he couldn't help but grin back. Turning to share the excitement with the rest of the team. They had this down. With Nick and Billy. Trained, successful sales men, they might just have a change.

"The bigger the sale, the more chance you have of taking this competition. The winner will be announced at our final meeting this afternoon. Good luck and happy hunting."

They leapt off their chairs and rushed for the exit, Neha taking the lead. "Those sons of bitches are going down. - Wait, where's Billy?" she asked, turning to look around for the older guy.

"He left." Nick said, pushing between Stiles and Derek to slump down on a chair in the corner.

"What?" Yo-Yo gasped.

"You heard him, he thought he was holding us back." Nick shrugged. "And he didn't want to talk about it, that's for sure."

Derek looked down at Stiles, the younger man's face paling with guilt.

"Well we've gotta get him back." Neha insisted.

"She's right. We're all a team, that's what you guys taught us." Yo-Yo said, sounding both panicked and hurt.

"I mean it might have been buried under a mountain of obscure 80's references…" Stiles said glancing up at Derek for support. "And a ton of other super inappropriate bullshit that I guess was intended as life lessons." he shrugged. "But…you did teach us how to come together Nick…." he unconsciously leant a little further into Derek. "You taught us that."

"The problem is when he makes up his mind on something, old Billy really has a tendency to really dig in. - We might have to get ready to do this one without him."

"Yeah, but Nick. We don't want to. Right guys?" Derek grunted.

Nick looked between them all before giving a sharp nod and leaping to his feet. "You guys start looking for a business, I'll be back as quickly as I can."

They took their seat as Nick vanished from the room and began pulling up maps of the area. "I can't believe Billy split because of me and my big mouth." Stiles grumbled. Derek rolled his chair closer, pretending to be looking at something on Stiles screen. "Stop now. Stop blaming yourself for everything."

Stiles head snapped around to stare at him. "Really? _You're_ giving _me_ a lecture on self-deprecation? _You_? Mr it's always my fault people die?" Stiles scoffed.

Derek narrowed his eyes. "Just means I know what I'm talking about."

Stiles shook his head.

"And no one died." Derek pointed out. "You just hurt his feelings, that's the problem with your mouth, it doesn't know when to keep shut."

"You weren't complaining this morning." Stiles whispered.

"Guys!" Neha huffed. "Stop flirting, start working! Jeez."

Derek's rolled his chair back to his desk and spent the next twenty minutes tapping away at his computer. "Hey, what about Sal's Pizza. It's not that far from here and there's a tone of buzz about it." he turned to look at the others, pointing at his screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so there's only two more chapters left of this. I've very grateful to everyone who's been following this story and review. Especially for the reviewing. Its always lovely to hear from you. Thank you.
> 
> If I got anything seriously wrong when it comes to Stiles and his possession and Allison's death, and basically everything in season 3b, forgive me I haven't seen the season and had to scrounge info from friends and the internet. But then this is AU so its not such a bit deal, right?


	8. Flashdance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title surely does not need explaining.

"Well that was a gigantic disaster." Stiles huffed, slouching back against the pizza shop wall. "Maybe next time you cannot look like you're going to rob the place." he said glaring at Derek, who just glared back.

"Like it was just down to me? Typical the one time we actually need your mouth to do something useful it barely opens." Derek countered. "What happened to the kid that could give a twenty minute lecture on the history of the male circumcision?"

"I never gave you that lecture." Stiles snapped, pointing his finger in Derek's face. "How do you even know about that?"

"Erica." Derek huffed.

Stiles grunted, folding his arms.

"Oy, Oy!"

"Oh great, this guy." Neha grumbled as Graham rolled to a stop across the street.

"I'm still willing to rip him in two." Derek said earnestly.

"Don't tempt us." Stiles replied.

"No please, tempt away." Neha whispered.

"…thought we'd stop by."

"That's really creepy. - And there was me thinking you had the patent." Stiles smirked, elbowing Derek. "Is that all?"

"It is all actually." Graham grinned smugly. "We just closed a sale at the coffee shop down the street. You're chances of catching up to us just went from zero to piss all."

That was it. Derek pushed himself off the wall, taking a threatening step forward.

Graham startled. "Well if you'll excuse us, we have to get to the final meeting. Get those jobs of which we're so profoundly deserving."

Derek took another step, his fingers flexing.

Graham turned to order his little minions to follow him, as he tried to seem unaffected by Derek's intimidating behaviour. "Zac, eyes off the pizza mate. God made you lactose intolerant for a reason mate. So fat."

Derek growled and Graham shot him a look before peddling away, quickly.

"What a douche." Neha huffed, shaking her head.

"I love it when you do that." Stiles chuckled as Derek turned back to them.

"As soon as this is over, I'm going to introduce that asshole to my fist." Derek grunted, marching back.

"Guys." Yo-Yo nodded at the street Graham had just ridden away up.

They all turned to see a cab pulling to a stop and they held their breath. When the doors opened to reveal Nick and Billy, everyone let out a cry of excitement and relief. - Even Derek, as they rushing to meet the men.

"Welcome back Billy-boy." Lyle greeted, a wide grin breaking across his face.

"Good to be with ya." Billy nodded.

"What happened there?" Nick asked, looking at Yo-Yo missing eye-brow with concern.

"I tried to get Derek to share, but well he needs his brows to communicate." Stiles said with a grin, patting Yo-Yo on the shoulder, while bumping Derek's.

Nick and Billy chuckled.

"What about here?" Nick gestured to the pizza place.

"Well he didn't bite, so it did not go well." Yo-Yo answered.

"You know who else it didn't go well for?"

"Lay it on us, big daddy." Stiles encouraged, turning to grin goofily at Derek, who simply rolled his eyes and waited for Billy's speech.

"That's right, the little steel town girl Alex. When she got her shot in front of all those stuffed shirts, she took a tumble and fell. You want to hear something totally nuts, she picked herself back up, she tightened that little ass of hers and she pumped her legs and she danced herself right back into their hearts and into a slot at that dance school."

"And that's what we're going to do." Nick grinned. "Tighten you're asses, let's go."

"You think they know that dance scene was actually performed by a guy?" Derek whispered as he followed the pair.

Stiles looked up at him. "And you know that how?"

"Laura loved that movie." Derek said with a sad smile, receiving a shoulder squeeze from Stiles as they crossed the threshold. Nick and Billy already beginning to work their magic.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

"I'm not dancing."

"If I'm dancing, you're dancing buddy." Stiles said as they scrambled off the Google bus, pizza boxes balanced in his arms.

"This is a stupid idea." Derek grunted.

"This is an _awesome_ idea." Neha grinned. "And don't pretend you don't know how to dance, I've seen you moving that ass." she chuckled, slapping it with winking.

"Don't make me hurt you." Stiles said lightly, bumping her playfully away from Derek.

"Aw, you're so cute." she cooed, then raced to catch up with Billy.

"Do you think we should be worried about those two?" Stiles asked, watching Billy throw an arm around Neha's shoulder.

Derek took a sniff and shook his head. "They're fine."

Stiles turned to look at him intrigued.

"Are we doing this?" Derek huffed, rolling his shoulders as they reached the doors of the hall.

"Just remember to swing that booty, baby." Stiles chuckled, slapping Derek's ass.

Then the music was blaring out of the room and they were dancing their way down the aisle waving pizza to the _Flashdance_ soundtrack. It was probably the most ridiculous thing Derek had ever done.

And the most fun. He could imagine the bright wicked smile Laura would be giving him and his heart clenching but he didn't stop.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Stiles stood nervously between Derek and Nick listening as Chetty called for order, his whole body was vibrating. This was it. They were either in or out.

"Its lovely theatrics but the gig is up." Graham announced, smirking at them confidently. "It's too late. Rules are rules. Right Chetty?"

Stiles really wasn't going to blame Derek for laying that guy out when all this was done, the asshole had been asking for it since day one. And if they weren't going to get the jobs, then they really had nothing to lose.

"Yes. Rules are rules. And the rules state that every team as the right until the announcement is made to turn in their sales. So…"

Stiles held his breathe, his shoulder instinctively pressing against Derek's, whose fingers brushed the back of his hand so softly he wasn't even sure he'd actually felt it, but for the lingering heat.

"…despite the lack of punctuality, which is _astounding,_ I have no choice but to except this submission and to recalculate."

Stiles pulled his lip between his teeth in a nervous gesture, his heart racing a thousand miles a second. God this was torture, and he knew torture. - Okay so maybe this wasn't as bad as the year Jennifer kidnapped his dad….he should probably get some perspective. But this really was nerve-wracking, his nerves were totally wrecked. There was no denying the touch of Derek's fingers against his this time, and he curled his hand into a fist to stop for taking hold of them. They were still interns, they still had to follow the rules…at least be seen to follow the rules.

"Go ahead. Recalculate. One sale to a small family pizza joint's not going to make the difference anyway."

Stiles bit his lips and lifted his hand to Derek's arm as he felt the man getting more and more frustrated with Graham.

"It does seem, Mr Hawtrey is correct once again…."

"Boom." Graham smirked proudly over at them.

"The sales from one shop on the last challenge are not enough to put you in the lead."

Stiles felt himself deflate, his shoulders slumping forward along with his head. He glared down at his shoes. Dammit. Sure he hadn't wanted this job when he'd arrived, but now….he had to admit, he'd kinda gotten used to the idea of working for Google. Working with his team. - He'd maybe fallen a little in love with the idea.

" _But_ …. _This_ is not one shop…."

Stiles head snapped up so quickly he felt all the muscles in the back of his neck scream in protest. His eyes locking on Chetty. This time he did reach for Derek's hand…or his wrist at least. Screw the rules.

"….You see _this_ is a blossoming franchise with endless possibilities. Thanks to you." Chetty said with a small smile, looking at them with an air of reluctant pride. "And what you've done as a team, is connect with people and connect those people with information. Which is what we do. - And more than that, you had the courage to dream, in spite of your obvious and astonishing limitations, you never gave up on that dream. So…gentleman, and lady…."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…Chetty, no offence but you're a glorified baby-sitter. Let's get somebody down here that actually means something!" Graham demanded.

"I'm seriously going to punch this guy." Derek grumbled under his voice.

"Get in line, Wolfman." Stiles whispered back, dropping Derek's wrist.

"I'm right here!"

Stiles craned his head to see over Neha, trying to locate the voice. He had to admit he was seriously surprised when the headphone dude he'd seen sleeking around the campus the last six weeks got to his feet and began to move towards Graham and Chetty. And going by the rumble of voices that filled the auditorium, he wasn't the only one surprised.

"Terrific."

"Graham, please meet Mr. Anderson."

"You know this guy?" Graham asked with a deep frown, looking from Chetty to Anderson.

"I should think I do. Andrew here is the head of search, a rather important position here at Google."

"Honest? It's an honour."

"Look at you headphones. A little mystery behind the boy." Billy grinned.

"Uh…how do you know him?" Graham frowned.

"We were encouraged to reach out to experience Googlers. Simple. Not a big mystery."

"To reach out to other Googlers, not just kiss their asses."

Stiles bit back a grin as Graham flustered in the face of the shorter man. This was way the best moment of his being here….okay, second best. The best was totally banging Derek 'friggin' Hale.

"You see these interns are smart, collaborative, pretty…and just weird enough to be interesting."

Stiles narrowed his eyes at Anderson. Had he imagined the way the guy's eyes had flickered over to Derek when he'd said 'weird'? No, he had to be imagining it, there was no way the guy knew. Although he'd been walking around the campus for weeks, watching, listening and no one had paid him any attention because he seemed to be living in his own universe. There was every possibility he'd seen or heard something. After all hadn't that been how Danny found out, over hearing a conversation between him and Scott about the twins.

"….there Googliness is seriously off the charts."

"Oh my god, can we stop with the Googliness." Graham groaned. "What does that even mean?"

"The fact that you do not know what it means is why you'll never work here."

Stiles strained to listen as Anderson leant into Graham's personal space. "What's he saying?" he asked under his breath, bumping shoulders with Derek.

"That his accents bullshit." Derek chuckled.

"Hey…wait…look you can't…those two…" Graham shouted desperately, pointing at him and Derek. "There…."

Anderson leant into his personal space again, his eyes burning into the arrogant dick and instantly Graham deflated. "So…." he smiled, turning towards them.

Stiles wasn't imagining it this time, there was definitely a look. But he'd have to ask Derek about that later because…Chetty was smiling at them.

"Welcome to Google."

The room erupted and Stiles couldn't help himself, he leapt on Derek, arms wrapping tight around his neck, squeezing hard, before letting him go and turning to hug the rest of his team. They'd done it. They'd won. They had a future at Google. When was his life going to not be insane?

"So?" he asked as the others began to wander away from one another, excepting congratulations for their fellow interns. "What was that with headphone guy?"

"Anderson." Derek corrected.

"Right." Stiles nodded. "Do you think he knows about….you know?"

Derek smiled, that secret little grin he used to use a lot when he first became an alpha. The one that said he knew something Stiles didn't. "Of course he knows."

Stiles felt panic claw at his gut as he glanced around for the older guy.

Derek pressed his hand to Stiles shoulder, instantly drawing his attention and calming him. "I'm not the only werewolf in the world Stiles."

Stiles eyes blew wide with surprise. "He's a…." his gaze once more scanning the room but the guy was gone. "Fuck. I'd never….Shit." he shook his head, dragging his fingers through his hair.

Derek chuckled, his arm moving to slide around Stiles shoulders before pulling back sharply. "So…you happy with the outcome?" he asked uncertainly. "I mean, it's an option…..if you decided."

Stiles grinned. "I think my dad would kill me if I threw this away to become a low-paid deputy. - Besides, I can always do both."

Derek swallowed, nodding.

They stood silently in front of one another while the place was chaos around them. Stiles glancing over to see Nick making out with his girlfriend, while Billy was talking to Chetty and Lyle."

"So what are you doing after we leave here?" Stiles heard himself ask, his eyes snapping around to stare at the werewolf.

Derek shrugged. "You?"

"You know what I mean." Stiles laughed softly.

"I don't know…head back I guess." Derek sighed, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You?"

"I promised my Dad I'll drop by before heading back to New York. I haven't seen him all summer and I really need to make sure he's in one piece."

Derek nodded. "Yeah right, I remember you saying."

Stiles scuffed the toe of his shoe on the floor. "The offers still open." He remained him despite Derek already saying he wasn't ready to go back yet. "Scott's picking me up." he announced matter-of-factly.

"So….I'll probably see you….."

"Back in New York. I mean if you still want to." Stiles blustered.

"Hey guys." Neha interrupted, throwing her arms around them both. "Can you believe it!" she yelled happily. "We won. We're going to be working at Google!" she pulled them both down and pressed a kiss to both their cheeks, one after the other. "This was frigging awesome!"

"Awesome!" Stiles agreed nodding and laughing softly.

"I guess we should go get our bags and split this joint. Make the most of the last few days of summer, huh." Neha grinned, letting them go and turning to rush out of the building.

"She's right." Derek sighed.

"Yeah."

They walked towards the door, their feet dragging slightly as they got closer to fresh air.

 

**_The Internship: Sterek Style_**

 

Derek took a last look around his room, at the bed. A heavy weight in his stomach. Stiles and he hadn't really spoken about what was going to happen once they left Google, once they were back in New York. Derek knew what he wanted, he wanted to see Stiles every day, carry on what they'd started. What it had taken too long for them to begin. He wanted this to be _something_. - But there was still the shadow that was Beacon Hills. Sure Stiles wouldn't be rushing off back there to follow his dream, but he'd be going back there sometimes. Summers. Thanksgivings. Christmases. Birthdays. And he'd want Derek to go with him. If they were serious. He'd say he'd understand if Derek said he wasn't ready, and he would….but it would slowly begin to eat away at them and he didn't want that.

Maybe it was time to face his fears. Maybe it was time to go home….again. Taking a breath, Derek pulled the bedroom door closed and marched out of the small apartment/dorm.

He caught sight of Stiles before the younger man saw him and he felt his stomach clench tight. He'd text Cora with the good news while he was marching across the quad and she'd been overjoyed. Then she'd asked what was going to happen with Stiles.

 

**Message: Cora**

**I don't know. He still wants me to go back to Beacon Hills.**

 

_**Inbox:** _

_**Maybe you should. We all have to face our demons sometime Derek.** _

 

_**Inbox:** _

_**And I'm sure he'll protect you. LOL. He always does.** _

 

**Message: Cora**

**But who'll protect him? I'm cursed Cora and that place is like a lightning rod.**

 

_**Inbox:** _

_**Stop being a drama queen. It's only a couple of days, here and there.** _

 

**Message: Cora**

**Until he wants to move back permanently.**

 

There hadn't been a comeback message for a few agonising minutes. Then finally his sister had replied.

 

_**Inbox:** _

_**Go home Derek. It's time.** _

 

"Hey man." Stiles smiled at him uncertainly and Derek slipped his phone into his pocket.

"Hey." He smiled at the others. "So this is it them, huh?"

"Have a great senior year guys." Lyle grinned proudly. "I'll keep your desk chairs warm for ya."

"Team Lyle!" Billy cheered, pulling them all in for a huge group hug.

As they broke apart a woman's loud yelling voice caught their attention and they all turned to see an Asian woman standing beside a dark blue car.

"Mom, I need a minute." Yo-Yo called back. The women yelled back only for Yo-Yo to cut her off. "Mom, I am saying goodbye to my friends. I am taking a minute!" he stated firmly. "Okay?"

Stiles grinned up at Derek, who shared his pride. As did everyone.

"Look who grew an eyebrow. Go Yo-Yo." Billy cheered. "Alright you riff-raff, get out of here."

"See ya down the road." Nick nodded at them all.

They shared a final group hung before going their own ways. Yo-Yo marched confidently towards his mom, while Stiles and Derek made their way to the bus with Neha.

"So, don't be strangers. Shoot me a text sometime, Stiles." Neha grinned up at them.

The pair stared at her with wide eyes. "You…?"

"We do have ears you know? And it was pretty obvious you guys had a history after like five minutes."

Derek looked from Neha to Stiles, slightly fearful of what else they'd heard, but then he'd come to trust this little pack, despite the short time they've known one another. So he pulled her into an uncharacteristic hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek that caused her to turn bright red, when he stepped back, Stiles stepped forward.

"Forget that, we'll come see you in person." Stiles grinned, matching Derek's fierce hug with one of his own.

Neha took a step back, her eyes brimming with tears. "You better." he ordered looking between them. "I should…" she thumbed at the bus. "See you in a year."

The pair nodded and watched her vanish into the small crowd of interns eager to get home.

Derek inhaled slowly, staring down at his boots while shifting his bag on his shoulder. He glanced over at the visitor's parking lot and frowned. "Where's Scott?"

Stiles shrugged. "Guess he's running late. Don't worry, he'll be here. - You should…you know…" he nodded to the bus, his lips caught between his teeth.

"Huh…yeah…I….You'll call the moment you get back to New York?"

Stiles met his gaze. "If you want me to."

"Of course I want you to. This isn't over. - For me."

Stiles face lit up, beaming. "Me either. I'll call. Second I land. - Hell I'll be calling you all weekend."

Derek grinned. "Isn't the whole point of you going home so you can spend time with your dad?"

Stiles smile turned sly. "I can't spend every second with him and you know how dull the nights are in Beacon Hills." he whispered seductively.

Derek growled despite himself, taking a step into Stiles personal space. They had the jobs, what did it matter if they….

" _Stiles_!"

The pair turned at the yell of a voice that was most definitely _not_ Scott.

"Dad?"

Derek's back straightened and he fixed his default serious face into place. "Sheriff." he nodded as the man came to a halt in front of them.

"Dad, what are you doing here? Where's Scott?" he glanced around frantically.

"He had…." the Sheriff glanced around nervously. "…. _business_ that kind of took precedent, so I'm here." he reached for Stiles bag. "How'd it go?" he asked hopefully, looking at his son.

"You haven't told him?" Derek frowned.

"Hello, we only found out two hours ago." Stiles looked between the two men. "I was going to, the second I got home. I wanted to surprise him." he defended looking at Derek. "Like you've told Cora."

"I have." he nodded.

"Well someone what to tell me?" the Sheriff demanded, glaring at the pair.

"I got the job." Stiles murmured, standing proudly at attention. "Or I should say, _we_ got the job."

Derek watched as the Sheriff dropped the bags and wrapped Stiles in a tight, long hug, his eyes glassing over as he watched the father and son. One again being reminded what he'd lost. Finally the Sheriff stepped back and swallowed hard, before nodding to Derek.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you." Derek replied with his own nod.

"Okay, let's get back, Scott'll probably need your help."

"Yeah, typical. I've just got the job of my life and all anyone cares about is how my impressive brain can save their asses." Stiles grumbled light-heartedly. He turned to Derek as his dad marched away. "So….I'll call you. Tonight."

"I'll look forward to it." Derek murmured. "Be careful, okay." he said firmly. "I'd like you back in one piece."

"Please, may I remind you which of us is the disaster magnet?"

Derek narrowed his eyes.

"Kidding. Kidding." Stiles held up his hands defensively. "I'll be careful and when I get home you're going to reward me for my due care and attention. Right?" he asked huskily.

"Maybe."

"Are you two coming or what?" the Sheriff yelled across the parking lot. "We don't have all day. There are….. _criminals_ to be caught. Move your asses or I'm leaving them here!"

Stiles looked from his dad to Derek then back again. "Huh…I…."

"Coming Sheriff!" Derek yelled before he even realised it.

Stiles head snapped around to stare at him. "Huh?"

Inhaling deeply, he lifted his bag higher on his shoulder and met Stiles gaze. "Have to face my demons sometime."

Stiles was still staring at him thirty seconds later. "Uh…."

" _Stiles_!"

"Coming Dad!" Stiles yelled, turning and making his way towards his father, Derek close on his heels.

 

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope you enjoyed that. I was debating whether to do an epilogue but honestly I have no idea what happened after this. Who knows, maybe I'll write one later.
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this, as I do all my Sterek fic, and I finally wrote a damn fic with no angst. - Or at least very little. Which considering how angst my other works are, that's a damn miracle. I kept having to tell myself. "NO ANGST! NO ANGST! FUN ROM/COM TIME. STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THE ANGST!" 
> 
> I really enjoyed the Internship, which surprised me as I'm not a fan of Wilson or Vaughn really, I totally only brought the movie because of Dylan. (Like I'm the only one. Huh?)
> 
> Anyway, thanks again for reading. I'm grateful as always. And for those waiting for the follow-up to Sea of Troubles, I'm working though the plot-plan now. It's been a bloody nightmare. Fingers crossed I'll have something soon. If I don't get distracted with another Sterek fic. Which if I'm honest will probably happen because my brain is filled with ideas that I keep trying to make into something.
> 
> PS: Notes
> 
> * I couldn't help but make Anderson a werewolf. Something just spoke to me.
> 
> * I have no idea how Danny discovered the family secret. (And I've been told he has) So I've gone with him over hearing something because seriously, considering they're all supposed to be keeping the werewolf think a secret, the pack has a really bad habit of having conversations in the middle of a damn corridor at a normal decibel. Someone has to have heard something by now.
> 
> That's all for now.
> 
> Thank everyone for their wonderful, supportive comments and reviews and I hope this ending wasn't too disappointing.
> 
> All my love
> 
> GATERGIRL79

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews would be wonderful, so I know if I've got this right. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


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